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Album reviews Music

Alex Bleeker and the Freaks

Real Estate bassist Alex Bleeker’s solo project allows him to revel in his unabashed love for the Grateful Dead. The Freaks’ third and most collaborative album finds Bleeker even sneaking in a cover of the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band’s Turtle Dove. The tribute goes beyond that, however. Alt-folk is at the album’s root, but like the Dead, Bleeker uses it to infuse an eclectic mix of sounds: Americana, electric instrumental interludes, bucolic soundscapes that conjure coastal California, where it was recorded. 

Although Bleeker contributes to Real Estate’s trademark group harmonies, here we can actually hear his true voice. It’s casual and breezy, but with a soft twang that complements the Freaks’ plucky guitar and soulful piano. He sounds best when joined by Molly Sarle (from the rock trio Mountain Man.) On The Rest, Sarle’s soft voice, just barely sweeping into the foreground, adds depth and drama to Bleeker’s, which can lack range as he coos over a folky guitar line. 

If Country Agenda had a chorale of voices on each tune, the contrast would allow Bleeker’s to stand out more.

Top track: The Rest 

Alex Bleeker and the Freaks play Smiling Buddha Tuesday (November 17).

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