Alexis Strum - Nothing Good About This Goodbye

Published Friday, May 13, 2005 by Abby | E-mail this post

“Only now I’ve let go/ Honey, I just don’t know/ Sit right here/ And watch the sky above for a sign.”

Music, my dear?

A classy pop song is hard to find. They try, (oh how they try!) thinking that all they need are a few polished chords or a glacial electro number to leave behind their sordid, thrusting pasts and win my affections. How wrong they are! For every Kelly of the Clarkson variety, there’s, well, a Kelly of the Osbourne breed. Polished precision? Sure, but what about that spark of brilliance, that echo of the divine that leaves a shimmer in your spine?

Alexis has it.

A dreamy, understated song, this will take a few listens, but give it that chance. Because when it clicks into place, it’s perfect: swooping, soft and melodic, with the infectious lilt of summer breeze. And then the world drops out, and heavier electro effects fall into place; giving a drive and power that are wonderfully incongruous with that same sweet vocal until they blend back into synthetic dreams.

The Rachel Stevens cover is forthcoming, but she'll have a lot of work to do to top this.

7 Responses to “Alexis Strum - Nothing Good About This Goodbye”

jeffro on 11:05 PM

mmmmm.....that Alexis Strum song is some tasty pop! nice!
nm on 4:05 AM

love the song, thanks for posting! although some of it does remind me a bit of the new kelly osbourne song, "one word." although you're right, this has the spark.
Anonymous on 3:40 AM

I've been waiting for years (literally) to listen to the perfect pop song. I think this may be it! I'm now really curious about the cover by Rachel Stevens.
Edward O on 4:20 AM

Word (Popjustice messageboard, anyway) has it Rachel's version has more harmonies in it and is perhaps less emotionally distant. I like the idea of more harmonies, but I think the cold detachment in the chorus is very much one of the strengths of Alexis' version. It does strike me that it's taken so long for someone to cover this song as it's been kicking around since at least 2003.
muruch on 3:33 AM

I downloaded the Alexis Strum track a few days ago, but only just listened to it today. I promptly did a double take on the winamp display, cos that's some damn fine pop.
Anonymous on 9:29 PM

This song is brilliant!! I love it, and only after a second listen. It reminds me of great pop songs that I havent heard in a while and it has significant lyrics as well. Rachel WILL have a hard time besting this song.
Anonymous on 4:59 PM

Whilst I prefer the Alexis version, Rachel's cover is equally brilliant. They two tracks aren't that dissimiliar, yet Rachel's version introduces some other ideas to the mix, like a Natalie Imbruliga style guitar solo in the middle8. Far from ruining the song, Rachel has just done a very listenable cover version.