Strawberry Guy

★★★★ Sun Outside My Window MELODIC. CD/DL/LP

Wistful, upbeat one-manband and online star’s first LP does not disappoint.

Sun Outside My

Window is the first full-length album by Soundcloud/ streaming superstar Alex Stephens, the Strawberry Guy himself. Sometime Orielles keyboard player Stephens grew his fanbase online, with his ornate, spectral sound. Mrs Magic from 2019, has, at the time of writing, been streamed 44 million times, with thousands of fan videos being created. It comes as little surprise that Stephens is based in Liverpool, as Sun

Outside My Window is a perfect continuation of the dream pop of Black, China Crisis and The Lightning Seeds. In a world where everything seems such an acute reflection of influences, Sun Outside My Window is something quite special. For a one-person ensemble, Stephens’ arrangements are often outstanding, utilising the studio as an instrument; Back On My Feet, an optimistic rally for a new future, is one of the album’s many sweet spots. Daryl Easlea