REVIEW: Alex Cordova – ‘The Hallway’

With the release of ‘The Hallway’, newcomer Alex Cordova steps boldly into the alt-rock arena, delivering a debut album that’s unpolished in all the best ways; full of grit, vulnerability, and wide-eyed ambition. The record captures the raw urgency of an artist carving out their sound in real time, and refusing to play it safe at any point.

From the outset, ‘The Hallway’ feels like a project built on instinct. Rather than clinging to any particular avenue or lane, there are jagged guitars, lo-fi textures, driving basslines, and moments of hushed introspection all coexisting on the same floorplan. The result is a collection that swings between restless energy and stark self-reflection.

These songs aren’t polished for mass consumption; they’re restless, searching, and sometimes beautifully rough around the edges. In the best alt-rock tradition, Cordova isn’t afraid to sit with discomfort, or to build tension without resolving it neatly.

There are flashes of classic influences in the DNA with echoes of early 2000s indie grit, or ‘90s alt heroes, but Cordova isn’t imitating. He is borrowing tools to build something new. There’s a DIY spirit that runs through ‘The Hallway’, especially in the looser arrangements and vocal performances that feel lived-in rather than overly rehearsed.

What’s most exciting is the potential. Cordova describes this as a learning process, a chance to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks, and ‘The Hallway’ is all the stronger for it. Rather than aiming for a radio-ready debut, this is a record that values honesty over gloss, and experimentation over expectation.

With this release, Alex Cordova is inviting us into the room while the walls are still going up. And if ‘The Hallway’ is any indication, there’s a lot more worth discovering just around the corner.