The Article below was published in Vol. 136, Issue 5 of the Lake Forest College Stentor on February 19, 2021.
By Emma Baumgartel ’21
Staff Writer
baumgarteler@mx.lakeforest.edu
Love’s a B**ch, the most recent album release by Grammy-nominated artist Eric Alexandrakis, is a fascinating mix of Pink-Floyd-esque ’60s psychedelia, ’70s and ’80s rock, and even spoken word that all come together to form a cohesive, new-age, and alternative sound. Unlike the algorithmic-style pop that is the norm today, Alexandrakis manages to create an unpredictable yet accessible sound, even to young adults. The nine-song album includes songs from Alexandrakis’ previous album, “Terra,” and songs exclusive to Love’s a B**ch, all recorded on a 16-track recorder.
The core message of the album is love and the complicated messes that come with love. The album’s message is simple yet wholly universal and therefore relates to a broad audience. Many emotions can come with being in love or falling out of it—hope, euphoria, confusion, and hurt, and each of Alexandrakis’ songs seems to encompass at least one of these feelings.
In an interview, Alexandrakis spoke of his inspiration for a specific song from the album, titled “It Was Me,” recalling a time in his youth when he felt so enamored with a girl that he felt compelled to write a song for her. However, despite his strong feelings, Alexandrakis admits he was “too afraid to play it for her,” and hid the song away. Alexandrakis shared that “the ’80’s-inspired song ‘It Was Me’” on his album came from the very same song that he uncovered in his youth.
Other songs on the album reflect different aspects of the convoluted feeling of love, such as his spoken-word title song, “Love’s a B**ch,” a sort of all-encompassing, 40-second narrative that speaks to the maddening, hair-pulling frustration that sometimes comes with love. “Mediterranean Sun,” an upbeat, more rock-heavy song with somewhat of a Beach Boys sound, comes from, as Alexandrakis explains, the “feeling of summer,” or the pure freedom and bliss of enjoying a relationship by the glimmering Mediterranean.
“She Sparkles,” another hopeful, upbeat song with some great harmony, includes Alexandrakis’ teenage son on the drums, whom Alexandrakis describes as having an “incredible natural talent.”
The second song on the album, “I Love Me,” a unique track with a mixture of rock and synthesizers, carries the message of loving oneself over all else. It is rightfully placed at the beginning of the album, reiterating the message of loving oneself before the possibility of loving anyone else.
When asked where he finds inspiration, Alexandrakis shared that “inspiration can truly come from anywhere,” whether that be from an interaction, a car, or even a mannerism. As a child, he became fascinated with the use of synthesizers in the song “Hungry Like a Wolf” by Duran Duran, and, as a result, he was eager to use synthesizers in his music.
Alexandrakis also touched on how being a two-time cancer survivor greatly influences his music and reflects a shift in his mindset. He explains that he “doesn’t care as much about what people think anymore,” yet simultaneously feels as if he is always “running out of time,” a possible long-term feeling that stems from surviving cancer twice. These conflicting feelings show up in many of his songs and his previous album, Terra. Alexandrakis’ rich and profound life experiences, as well as his experimentation with sounds from past decades, create a new blend of sound that seems determined not to be categorized yet still manages to define the struggles and triumphs of life and love.
