A Georgia native, Hall is an emerging Nashville singer/hot lick specialist in the vein of Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, and Keith Urban. He picks a Tele and his loose, supple tenor voice is effective on a variety of material. His six-song debut follows standard Nashville marketing practice for new artists – cameos by better-known names. The difference is that all but one guest adds vocals and guitar.

The overall production is generic and unobtrusive, yet guitar remains up front. It’s true on “Heart Shut,” a duet with Canadian singer Tenille Towns. John Osborne, half of Brothers Osborne, adds sharp-edged picking to “Jealous Love,” as well as a twin-guitar passage with Hall. Brad Tursi of Old Dominion adds harmonies and pickin’ to “Other End of the Phone.”

Paisley guests on the album’s high point – the honky-tonk ballad “The Last One to Leave,” with explosive soloing from both. Gill joins Hall on vocals and guitar on the low-keyed ballad “Never Seen The World,” with shimmering amplified work contrasting with the acoustic rhythms. He’s joined by singer Kassi Ashton, who harmonizes on the ballad “Runs in the Family.” Overall, Alex Hall shows the potential to graduate to a full album with fewer guests.

This article originally appeared in VG’s July 2021 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.