Smoldering beauty, superior talent, and an irrepressible attitude do not mean Alexis Curran hasn’t known bumps and obstacles along life’s path. Living with an autoimmune disorder and recovering from the fallout of a toxic relationship has challenged her spirit, yet she’s still standing, bruised yet unbowed. Her new single “Sure Know How To Pick ‘Em” illustrates that fact. It also illustrates how this Midwestern-born and bred singer is taking the bull by the horns when it comes to her career and presenting herself as an undeniable force to be reckoned with.
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We hear that before we even hear her voice. The assured guitar bites into listeners from the first opening licks, and it’s a harbinger of goodness to come. Xolex enters the track radiating the same confidence, and it’s audible how she’s molding her voice to serve the accompaniment. You can always relax when you hear that sort of attention to detail because it’s a sign that you are in good hands.
We hear her gradually gaining momentum with the song. It has a loping mid-tempo amble with a clear direction from the start. Nothing here or elsewhere ever sounds unfocused. The track shifts gears for the first time as it transitions into the chorus build-up and adds hand claps. At its heart, “Sure Know How to Pick ‘Em” is pure rhythm and blues filtered through a country music sensibility, and how it connects physically with listeners will earn it many admirers.
The lyrics connect as well. Xolex depicts an ongoing habit that many people, men and women alike, have endured. If they have not lived with it, they can understand or have seen it in their friends and family. The language has added flair without ever sounding premeditated or otherwise “put on.” Writing lyrics with a convincing conversational bent isn’t as easy as it sounds, but “Sure Know How to Pick ‘Em” deserves kudos for making it sound effortless.
The way the song unfolds sounds effortless. Xolex and her cohorts handle the unfolding tune with great skill, and even its predictability is welcome as they do it so well that you can’t help but enjoy it. The chorus is, naturally, a high point. Another peak arrives with the brief but potent lead guitar solo during the song’s second half. It piles on one hot lick after another until it releases with emphatic passion.
Xolex’s “Sure Know How to Pick ‘Em” checks off all the boxes. You will not turn away from this song in mid-play disappointed, and you won’t finish it ready to consign it to the dustbin. You’ll want to hear it again. Her effervescent and formidable personality emerges in nearly every part of her performance, and the band backing her is clearly inspired to be playing for such a transformative singer. This song sounds like the first significant salvo of a long and successful career.
Garth Thomas