by Philip Moss

The Lone Star State of Texas has provided some of our favourite music over the last few years – with the likes of Lomelda’s Hannah, Alex Maas’ Luca, Katy Kirby’s Cool Dry Place and Charlie Martin’s Imaginary People all special records released in the last twelve months. And now – with first single, Always, taken from her upcoming debut album, Great Big Wild Oak, due out on Double Double Whammy on 30th July – Alex Montenegro aka skirts is the latest Texan to add to your list of must listens!

On her 2018 EP, Almost Touching, Montenegro was firmly of a lo-fi, bedroom aesthetic, but despite being recorded across a number of home studios, Always sees the Dallas songwriter widening her scope. The trill of heavy strummed acoustic guitars still runs through the heart – but there’s a warm ruffling of the fur wrapped up in its dreamy synths, soft, double tracked harmonies and the brief passing of sliding country motifs. Always is another example that the Texas’ music scene is burning – and skirts is its newest star.

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