Today marks the arrival of Alexandria Sunset, the long-awaited new solo album from Melbourne musician Ashley Naylor. Well known as the guitarist for Paul Kelly, The Church, The Stems, the RocKwiz Orkestra, and a host of others, Naylor today steps firmly into the spotlight with a record that is entirely his own—he played and sang every note himself.
Alexandria Sunset follows a string of singles—“Donovan Dreams,” “A Blue Sky,” and “As Good As Gold”—that showcased both Naylor’s melodic instincts and his love of classic ‘60s and ‘70s songwriting. This is Naylor’s first vocal solo album in more than a decade. It’s also the first time since 2004’s Four Track Mind that he has taken complete control of the instrumentation, giving the album a deeply personal and intimate quality.
“I’ve been working on three separate albums in recent years,” Naylor explains. “This one finished itself first once I committed to the idea that it would consist of songs I recorded all the parts for on my own. Much of what I do is collaborative—this album is a deliberate move into a very singular musical world.”
The result is a record that blends dreamy folk-rock, long guitar solos, and detours into psychedelic textures—an “unfettered foray into my own rock fantasy,” as Naylor puts it. Fans of his work with Even, The Grapes, and countless collaborations will find familiar warmth here, but Alexandria Sunset also breaks substantial new ground for the artist.
Released today on El Reno Music, Alexandria Sunset is available on CD, digital, and a limited-edition Mellow Yellow vinyl pressing.