Alex G usually doesn’t expect anyone to truly understand him when he makes music. If he did, he wouldn’t be hiding his already whispered lyrics behind walls of distortion, or writing songs about how whales are his favorite animal. It’s confusing at first — why would an artist constantly shout such cryptic messages to their audience?
However, Alex G’s opacity is not to be confused with indifference to the listener’s comprehension. He’s always had a careful hand as an artist. On “Beach Music”, Alex G presents a soundscape that is as bitingly personal as it is haunting. If enough attention is given, the lyrics unravel with the soundscapes to reveal an album that takes the words right out of a listener’s mouth.
On “Beach Music”, Alex G has allowed himself to fully fit the mold he has set on past records. All those unique accents and elements that gave his music flair in the past are not accents any more. Now, they’ve taken center stage. He has lowered his inhibitions, and the result is more than satisfying.
The track “Salt,” for example, opens with an almost cheesy drum-pad beat. Laid over a very Sting-like bassline and vocal synth samples, the track comes off as a washed-out 80s ballad. “Today I wash my hands / I want to be alone / I want to fall,” he sings. On “Salt”, Alex G picks words that may be a little hard to decipher at first. Yet all together, alongside the soundscape, they make sense all the same.
Where some other artists labor over explanations, Alex G uses imagery. “On your street / In your pause between sentences / I can tell what’s hanging around,” he sings in “Ready”. With closed eyes, images of sleepy suburban streets and half-finished sentences are evoked.
“Beach Music” communicates at a more subliminal, personal level than listeners are likely used to, and this is where its eminence lies. Fans who adore Alex G may be hard pressed to pinpoint a specific line that speaks to them the most, yet still may vividly describe the images the album as a whole incites. Alex G’s latest release is a work that will mean something different to everyone.
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