Alex Wellkers Aims High with “Reach The Stars” – A Genre-Bending Musical Odyssey

Reach The Stars

Alex Wellkers' Reach The Stars is a sonic constellation stitched together with threads of classical instrumentation, rock bravado, and cinematic emotion. With thirteen expansive tracks that drift between dramatic pop and rock, Wellkers curates an experience that is theatrical yet deeply intimate. From the opening harp of “We Knew It All” to the haunting string arrangements of “Au Revoir,” each piece feels like a chapter in an emotionally rich novella, crafted with precision, passion, and poetic tension.

What makes Reach The Stars soar is the sheer ambition of its orchestration. Harps, violas, cellos, and flutes brush up against gritty electric guitars and pianos like storm clouds tangled in sunlight. The opener sets the tone: sweeping strings from Noelia Diaz and Mariia Vakhnenko meet with Adam Ward’s acoustic guitar, while Wellkers' gravelly vocals land somewhere between a whispered confession and a defiant cry. These juxtapositions continue across the album—intimate and bombastic, gentle and raw, always walking the tightrope between classical restraint and rock release.

The standout track “Desert Island” is an emotional centrepiece that thrives on its melancholic saxophones (courtesy of Dima Faustov) and evocative piano from Phil Gardiner. The track plays and sways, staggered with longing and loneliness, each note a grain of sand beneath the listener’s feet. Faustov’s recurring sax contributions, heard throughout several tracks, give the album a smoky, vintage elegance that keeps re-emerging like a familiar dream.

In “Alles Nicht So Schlimm” and “Tu Es Ici,” Wellkers flexes his multilingual muscle, lyrically and emotionally. The former is anchored by haunting harps and brushed cymbals, where the German lyrics lend a brooding sincerity. The latter, with its French title and wistful flute flourishes by Catherine Dury, feels like a sunrise over a quiet Paris street. These global textures don't come off as gimmicky but instead widen the emotional palette, and this is music meant to travel.

Each track on Reach The Stars is bolstered by meticulous session work, with over two dozen musicians lending their expertise. While names like Julia Stein, Oleksandra Vyentseva, and Akito Goto populate the credits, the cohesive tone of the record speaks to Wellkers’ vision. As the sole composer, lyricist, and primary performer behind nearly every sonic element, he’s built a world that feels grand yet personal, like reading someone’s diary in the middle of an opera house.

“What Are You Searching For” and “Now The Page’s Been Turned” usher in the latter half of the album with emotional clarity. These tracks mark a shift from longing to reflection. The strings recede just slightly, giving more space for Wellkers’ voice to take the lead—gritty, flawed, and ultimately human. “Now The Page’s Been Turned” in particular feels like an open letter to a former self, penned at 3 AM with one hand on the piano and the other on a glass of something strong.

The album concludes with “Au Revoir,” a tender farewell with cello (Akito Goto) and violin flourishes that shimmer like candlelight. It’s a finale that feels earned—equal parts goodbye and gratitude. As the last note fades, it leaves behind a reflective hush, the kind that stays with you long after the music stops.

With Reach The Stars, Alex Wellkers has crafted a sweeping, emotionally intelligent album that defies easy classification. It’s a collection of songs stitched together not by genre, but by feeling. Dramatic, eclectic, and boldly vulnerable, it’s the work of a composer who wants to reach the stars and show you every constellation along the way.

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Alex Wellkers