Album Review: Alex G – Beach Music
2 min read
Indie-pop prodigy Alex G is on the cusp of greatness. Even though he is about to release his seventh full length, he is still riding high on ‘one’s to watch’ lists and ‘emerging artist’ profiles, but Beach Music, a stirring and mature release for a 22-year old, is a true standout for 2015 and could be the one to push him past his internet cult status and cement him as an indie/pop dynamo.
His sad, dreamy, guitar-driven pop songs have enabled him to play to small yet loving audiences all around the world but the hype surrounding his first single Bug and the accessibility of Beach Music, the first of his LP’s to be released by independent powerhouse label Domino, will probably garner him a much deserved larger audience.
Beach Music, like the predecessor, DSU, is filled with sad, dreamy and guitar-driven pop songs that often dip into Grunge territory and even harness some spine-tingling moments that echo the late-great Nirvana, but despite this slight comparison he manages to effortlessly make the sound entirely his own.
Recorded entirely in his apartment in Philadelphia, Beach Music is a fast, dreamy ride with each song clocking in no more than 2 minutes in length, but it is in no way upbeat in mood. Setting up the tone with the angsty and falsetto-heavy Bug, he continues on with the emotions with downcast Kicker and the spacey-synthesized Salt. But while technically there is little optimism and light, it’s dreamy pop aesthetic makes it easy listening and it’s emotional effect will be sure to be overshadowed by the pure creativity and talent that is on offer.
His lyrics tackle the uncertainty and loneliness of the touring musician and supported by grungy-guitar riffs and Alex’s ethereal, pitch-warped vocals, it paints the perfect picture of the misunderstood and sensitive singer and perhaps its his ability to express his vulnerability that makes his fans fall endlessly at his feet.
While Beach Music won’t top the charts, it will push him further to the mainstream and hopefully into more ears because a talent like Alex G and an album like this deserves to be widely recognized.
