Iota (Not One) by Alec Berlin: Review

by Gabe Finch November 9, 2022

November 9, 2022

Alec Berlin shows off his mad guitar skills and instrumental kicks in Iota (Not One) where he knows how to lure in listeners with the perfect balance without overdoing it!

He starts with a bang and smash, and proceeds into a playful twist of excellent guitar work and pluckings while the percussions become a backdrop, making you tap your feet and groove to the unique earthly melodies. It’s a 4-minute tuneful masterpiece, with immense skills on funky guitar, filling the void of lyrical conveyance. For starters, you wouldn’t complain because Alec has the power of creating an effect of lyrics without having to use any words. Come to think of it, it’s all in his guitar-driven skills! His creative realm knows no bounds as he crafts instrumentals built of heavy character with unconventional turns.

Alec Berlin has been a musician for quite some time, having performed alongside the likes of Elton John, James Taylor, Ben Folds, Kenny Wheeler, and Rufus Wainwright as well as in several Broadway plays. He has spent over two decades as a sought-after session musician, and his latest album finds him melding his passions for concise pop-rock lyrics and guitar mastery into a record that embraces both. No wonder there’s no space for boring melodies in the man’s creations because he’s got the perfect idea for orchestration!