Alexander Gow - BODYLINE - Exclusive Teal Vinyl LP
Impressed is delighted to present Alexander Gow's Bodyline - a sharp, instinct-led collection that finds one of the country’s most enduring lyricists leaning further into his singular, off-kilter romanticism.
A natural progression from 2023’s Dizzy Spell, Bodyline trades lo-fi minimalism for something richer and more playful. Still grounded in Gow’s unmistakable songwriting voice, the album expands its palette through layered arrangements and analogue warmth, recorded to quarter-inch tape with an openness to experimentation.
“Bodyline is the latest effort in my ongoing pursuit of enduring, horny songwriting - full of pathos and personal exploration,” Gow says. “Writing songs is the thing I am best at; it brings me joy, meaning, and context in a life that is largely fulfilling, yet often chaotic and confusing.”
The album’s title reflects both tone and temperament - a knowingly cheeky nod to Australian cultural history, reframed through Gow’s lens of desire and self-awareness. “It sounds appropriately lusty while carrying an historic sporting reference,” he explains. “In a world where kicks are few and far between, I’ll take them where I can get them.”
Lead single “You Can Have Her” sets the emotional and sonic blueprint for the record. Inspired by Irving Berlin’s 1940s standard “You Can Have Him” (famously interpreted by Nina Simone), Gow’s version is less a reimagining - shifting perspective, rewriting context, and threading new melody through a familiar emotional architecture. Listen to 'You Can Have Her' here.
“It was the first song I wrote for the album - a kind of North Star,” says Gow. “It’s about the emotional disaster of being a die-hard monogamist playing third wheel in an open relationship. The title line is willfully insincere - by the chorus, you know the guy singing it doesn’t believe a word he’s saying.”
Across Bodyline, Gow leans into instinct over reference, though the fingerprints of his “teachers” remain - the lyrical gravity of Leonard Cohen, the melodic sophistication of Burt Bacharach, and the windswept intimacy of The Triffids.The result is a record that feels both effortless and deeply considered: a confluence of “barely hanging in there”musicianship and the brilliance of trusted collaborators, rendered with charm and clarity.
Written in motion - often during long jogs, with fragments captured in iPhone notes - and completed in quiet, half-dreamlike bursts at the piano, Bodyline reflects a creative practice that is both disciplined and intuitive. It’s a record concerned with contradictions: sincerity and irony, chaos and control, detachment and desire.
“I don’t take myself seriously, but I take the work deeply seriously,” Gow says. “I hope people hear that I’m still trying to become the best version of my songwriter self - and that they come along for it.”
Bodyline is available to pre-order on heavyweight transparent teal vinyl, with Impressed's signature numbered obi strip, with personally-written listening notes from Alexander. Limited to just 200 copies.
Released June 19th 2026.
_ _ _
Alexander Gow is a widely respected, award-winning Australian singer-songwriter with over 15 years of experience and a reputation as one of the country’s most accomplished lyricists.
As the driving force behind Oh Mercy, Gow released five critically acclaimed albums between 2009 and 2018, earning multiple ARIA nominations and an ARIA Award for When We Talk About Love (Best Adult Contemporary Album). His catalogue has consistently been championed by critics and tastemakers, with praise highlighting both his lyrical precision and emotional depth.
In 2021, Gow launched the project Perfect Moment, releasing Kangorou, before returning under his own name with 2023’s Dizzy Spell - described by The Australian Financial Review as a “quietly devastating ambush.”
Beyond his own recordings, Gow is Gow is a Walkley awarding winning journalist at the Australian Financial Review.
As The Sunday Times notes:
“Alexander Gow is widely considered one of Australia’s most exciting, accomplished and talented singer-songwriters.”
Alexander is one of our favourite songwriters. He holds a special place in our hearts here at Impressed for also being our very first record that we ever pressed.
Alexander Gow - BODYLINE - Exclusive Teal Vinyl LP