Written by Nolan Primavera
Alexander Glantz, also known as Alexander 23, started playing guitar at age eight, growing up in Chicago. In 2021, now an established musician, Glantz has just released his new EP titled “Oh No, Not Again!”, detailing the lifespan of a relationship, the title representing the feeling you get when you realize you've fallen into a harmful cycle.
The first song on the EP, “IDK You Yet”, explains the feeling of wanting someone that you haven't even met yet. This, Glantz, says, is a good way to describe the EP as a whole; the “yet” in “IDK You Yet”, characterizes the tone as “sad but hopeful”.
Following the opening track is “Cry Over Boys”, which is about someone getting invested in people that do not reciprocate the same feelings, and eventually becoming hurt by it. Many listeners have used this song to talk about fictional characters, but Glantz wrote it with the idea of romanticizing romance or putting a want for a partner above your own happiness.
Following “Cry Over Boys”, “Brainstorm” and “Nothing’s the Same” show the relationship start to fall apart. The other person is going through their own struggles, and although Glantz wants them to stay, there is not much he can do.
In “Nothing’s the Same”, everything in the relationship has changed, and there are no more real feelings between the two. He writes, “You’re probably better off without me.”
The aftermath of the relationship begins in “Caught in the Middle.” The two lovers reconnect and talk about what has happened between them as the tone of the EP shifts, changing into a bit lighter of a mood, giving hope to the listener going into the last four tracks.
Next up, “Come Here and Leave Me Alone” showcases the narrator of the EP or Glantz himself struggling with his own thoughts, wondering if he's capable of getting back into this relationship. He does not want anyone to get too close to him but desperately wants this person back, saying “Go away and kiss my face / Come here and leave me, leave me alone.”
In “She Loves Me”, the other person in the relationship is sending Glantz mixed signals, saying she loves him, but her actions don't match her words. Lines like “I’m dying / To make some room / For a life inside this / Living room” capture his struggle through this whole EP, having such a deep love for this person, but being unsure about if they reciprocate or if it's healthy.
“Good to See You Again!” is the end of the relationship for both parties. They no longer want to see each other again, and Glantz has realized it was damaging for him to continue this cycle, and finally is able to let this other person go.
“Track 9” is a direct address to someone he has broken up with, a very interesting type of song that you don't hear very often. He explains that he cannot write songs about this person yet, saying “I hear 'em in my head / But I can't write 'em down 'cause / Once the pen's to paper / Then it's really really over / And I'd much rather pretend / That maybe we're still okay.”
This EP really pulled at my emotions the entire way through, making me care so much about these two characters that he created that I didn't even know. Alexander 23 has so much greatness ahead of him, and we won't stop listening anytime soon!
You can stream “Oh No, Not Again!” wherever you listen to music. If you enjoyed the EP, you can follow Alexander 23 on Twitter @Alexander23lol, pick up some merch from his online store, and let us know your thoughts on Twitter @lgndsoftmrw!
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