Some EPs don’t just play through your headphones — they crawl under your skin and remind you right away what it feels like to be painfully, yet gloriously, human. Alex Ray’s debut EP, MESSY (out tomorrow, October 17), is exactly that kind of experience. It’s five tracks of truth, tangled in grungy guitars, confessions, and the kind of vulnerability that makes you pause mid-song to make sure you’re really feeling it.
WASTED is the first track to hit you. Feels like you’re in for a bop with those first notes, warm vocals and all, until the chorus hits and Alex unleashes. There’s a duality here, a kind of push-and-pull between strength and surrender. That hook is damn addictive, but it’s her honesty that lingers long after the track fades.
Then comes Driver’s Side, gritty, darker and once again full of truths. It’s like stepping through a mirror and finding a whole other version of yourself on the other side. Alex’s voice cuts through the shimmering synths and snarling guitars like a confession you weren’t ready to hear out loud. There’s something haunting, almost eerie, in that bridge, a reclaiming of power of sorts that feels almost untouchable.
Yours to Use is next, and even though it eases the tension with that boppy hook, it certainly doesn’t lighten the ache. Definitely alt-pop at its best – a melody so deceptively sweet that it almost feels like a sugar rush contrasting with the lyrics that cut deep. Wrapping all the truths in shiny, glittery packaging so it goes down more easily. Alex’s vocals soar higher here, softer but confident, showcasing a range that feels both natural and earned.
By the time you reach Boy You Ain’t, you’re fully immersed in her world. It feels familiar, like an old jacket is: a little worn out but perfectly fitting. The production sways between clean and gritty, every beat serving as a statement. It’s the kind of track that nudges you to move forward, even when you don’t want to.
And then it all fittingly ends with Messy. The title track. The heart of it all, if I may. And it hits hard. Vulnerable, raw and powerfully magnetic. It’s the sound of someone sitting in their own mess and refusing to turn away. You can almost sense the moment Alex stops running from herself.
The chorus crashes in, messy and magnificent. There’s confidence in her insecurity, power in her pain, and suddenly that bridge suspends time:
“For me, that bridge is like sitting in a dark room with nothing but your thoughts,” Ray says. “It’s uncomfortable. It’s quiet. But it’s the most honest part of the song.”
So you stop too, listening to your own thoughts and hearing every crack of honesty echoing against the walls.
“I wanted to write the ugliest truths about myself,” Alex said. “This isn’t a ‘woe is me’ song. It’s an ‘I royally fucked up my life’ song.”
And lordy, you can feel it. More importantly, you can relate.
Because MESSY isn’t about resolution; it’s about finding grace in the rumbles of your life.
Across five tracks, Alex Ray doesn’t just tell her story, she extends the invitation to jump into that deep end with her. Every synth pulse feels like a heartbeat, every lyric a piece of that mask we all put on every now and then, and the sound of those fragments falling down when we’re ready to face our truths. Only 5 songs but quite the journey. One with teeth and tenderness, swagger and sorrow, light and dark, all at once.
Such a great EP from an artist full of potential. Her identity truly shines through those songs and her amazing vocals. A blend of vulnerability and strength, with all the messy things that make us inherently human in between. And there’s a lot of that. Pain, vulnerability, and honesty that hits true – the beautiful chaos of living and being unapologetically ourselves.
Don’t miss out on that one.
It’s not perfect. It’s messy.
And that’s what makes it so damn beautiful.
Alex Ray’s EP Messy is out October 17th, pre-save it now.
