Alex Cameron – ‘Late To Set’ album review: I don’t know whether to laugh or cry
Over the years, we’ve become accustomed to the false grandeur of Alex Cameron’s high-concept stage persona. This real idea of the suffering that exists, being the glittering surface identity of fame and entertainment, has always felt apt in the soundscape he has created, but on Late To Set, it’s absolutely flourishing in an album that feels both hopeful and pathetic at the very same time.
The Skinny: I mean that latter part in full praise, it must be clarified. There is a palpable sense of endearment to the album, almost like the hopefulness of the sort of corny 1980s movie he takes influence from, but with enough irony sprinkled in to break through the seal of inaccessibility.
Perhaps the stripping away of any discernible drum beat has pushed the door open into Cameron’s world on this track? No obvious point of rhythm to take his songs into power rock territory; there is an odd sense of delicacy that comes from the drenched double bass that fills the gaps, buoyed by the synth and guitar flourishes. ‘Testerone In Blue’ might be the best example of this unique soundscape that blurs ballad with indie experimentalism.
It becomes an increasingly important track as the tracklisting goes on. It’s almost as if the bravado of the opening tracks falls away incrementally, with ‘Testerone In Blue’ being the moment it fully leaves Late On Set. What follows is a barren landscape of ambient sounds, and Cameron’s vocals stood alone in the spotlight.
Now the tales of confusion that are steeped in Cameron’s retrospective narrative view feel a little more heartbreaking. ‘Jesus Had No Porno’ is as funny as it is poignant on an arrangement that feels Bon Iver-inspired, while ‘Ricochet’ opens up the curtains and lets light drench into the atmospheric arrangement.
This gives way to the ambitious finish, which really shows Cameron flexing his production muscles, making use of the room his expanse on the preceding tracks has afforded him. ‘Red Hook Rain’ is the darkest, rockiest track on the record, but it feels like the perfect companion for ‘Violent Man’. which is a fitting closer, acting as a sort of textural mission statement for Late To Set.
Standout Track: ‘Jesus Never Had A Porno’
The Verdict: In keeping with the subtle concept that has laced his career to date, the record has moments of obvious pastiche. Whether it’s industrial experimentalism or bright 1980s-inspired synth parts à la Peter Gabriel, there are moments that are meant to feel somewhat familiar.
But Cameron’s vocal performance anchors them all together, through the channel of his narrative that is everything from aching to humorous to nihilistic. I guess that sentence proves the point. There are thousands of ideas on this record that all seem to neatly fit together, somehow.
Release Date: July 24th, 2026 | Producer: Mark Perkins, Zach Dawes and Maxim Ludwig | Label: Ditto Music
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