Where he usually goes for bold pop hooks, Stefan Alexander veers into indie-folk territory with “Sweetly.” A sorrowful, heavy tale about dementia, the plaintive ballad doesn’t mince words. “If I start to make mistakes / Bake the ice cream / And I freeze the cake,” he sings. “Will you tell me, oh, sweetly.” His voice falls like brittle raindrops, a pitter-patter sound drowning out the pain. Such a brutal reality destroys millions of lives, so Alexander’s wondrously honest portrayal makes for one of the year’s best, most gut-wrenching releases.
Listen to “Sweetly” below.