Review: Alex Cameron Dares to be Defiant

Alex Cameron/Oxy Music/Secretly Canadian
Four out of Five Stars

Recorded at the start of the shutdown, Oxy Music offers an emphatic response to a world suddenly upended and driven to the brink of desperation and despair. It’s an exceptional collection of songs, one that effectively breaks down the barrier between singer and song, especially given the reflection and resolve shared in each offering. I’m not myself, he sings on the track titled “Breakdown.” I am my mental health, I’m the latest popular craze, I’m off the field.

Cameron is consistently candid about his own insecurity and uncertainty as caused by this precarious state of existence, and he makes no effort to conceal his vulnerability. Opening offering, the sturdy, straightforward “Best Life” finds him wailing, There’s nothing like the feeling, Of when you do a thing, Or just wake up like this, Like what even is life? 

The answer to that open-ended question goes unanswered, but Cameron’s absolute insistence on exploring the possibilities is admirable in itself. Song after song finds him attempting to find some sense of affirmation—or at least understanding of what’s transpiring within his inner psyche. It’s a brave venture to be sure, one that finds a mix of pain and poignancy in equal measure. Yet, he also manages to come across as self-effacing. Here again, the lyrics are remarkably expressive.

I don’t wanna sound like an A hole
I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful 

Considering the fact that these melodies come across as so remarkably resilient, Cameron can be easily forgiven for any supposed misstep. “Sara Jo,” “Hold the Line,” the title track, and the aforementioned “Breakdown” are driving and demonstrative, belying any lack of confidence that lingers below the radar. And while certain songs—“Dead Eyes” and “Cancel Culture” (the latter featuring a cursory rap for Lloyd Vines)—take a thoughtful stance, they don’t shy away from attempting to find some definitive results. The latter offering is especially provocative, but here again, it’s clear Cameron is merely posing a question via a search for answers, both for himself and presumably, for his audience as well.

Considering the difficulties of assembling an album long distance in the midst of a pandemic, while also attempting to overcome one’s terror and trepidation, one would have to deem Oxy Music a decided success. Kudos to Cameron for shoring up his strength and providing us with such a bold venture.