For a few years now, Edmonton-based singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Alex Amesbury (aka Star Starer, and half of the band Willy Rodriguez) has been building a ramshackle discography under his Drug Bug moniker. On April 12, he released the Hell for a Basement LP, followed just four days later by the Secret Admirer EP, featuring four diverse songs that apparently didn’t fit on the album but are too cool to ignore.

The lo-fi blend of noise pop and bedroom punk is the perfect soundtrack for the lyrics, which capture a raw push-pull of longing, insecurity, and self-destructive thoughts, where affection becomes entangled with dependence, frustration, and a lingering sense of emotional exhaustion. Pulsing rhythms, breezy melodies, and vocal gymnastics come together in a loose sound you can be a proud fan of.

Secret Admirer, performed and produced by Alex Drug, is out digitally (self-released).

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