Third Man Records is absolutely ecstatic to be releasing the excellent live document of (Sandy) Alex G’s Blue Room performance. Recorded on the 2017 US tour supporting his critically-acclaimed album Rocket (voted among the best albums of that year) and not long after a notable feature on Frank Ocean’s album Blonde, this standalone LP is his first live set to be captured and made widely available for his very loyal fan base to enjoy.
Featuring work from self-released tapes, Lucky Number, Orchid Tapes and Domino Recordings, this daydreamy and intricate retrospective opens a private window into (Sandy) Alex G’s lovely lyrical wordplay and cozy stage persona.
What kinda 24-year-old can writes lyrics as light-hearted and fun as, “Sittin’ at the swim club stretchin’ my quads, everyone wants to be a part of my squad”, and brutally honest as, “She doesn’t wanna see me tonight, not for a minute, not for a second, she says ‘nothing here for you to make right’”? (Sandy) Alex G, that’s who. While those in certain circles are probably crying out that he’s far from an undiscovered act, we believe the multi-instrumentalist from Philadelphia is someone everyone should know. Discovered largely via his releases on Bandcamp, and now signed to Domino, Alex G began his career making music in his bedroom, and he’s still there (only ’cause he’s uncomfortable relinquishing control of the songwriting process in a typical studio setting). Give him a listen, you won’t regret it.
(Sandy) Alex G – “Proud” from ‘Rocket’, released 2017 on Domino Record Co.
(Sandy) Alex G is one of those artists who dumps dozens of lo-fi albums on Bandcamp, but few catch the spotlight the way he has over the last three years — and deservedly so given the musical growth visible on his latest album Rocket, proving those “prodigy” tags slapped on him back then weren’t over-exaggerated hype.
On its surface, Rocket is a vaguely Americana record where he finally sheds Elliott Smith comparisons for those of Cassadaga-era Bright Eyes, but it’s the experimental tracks. On Rocket, he steps past the Elliott Smith comparisons and into an unsuspected combination of beautiful Americana-evoking tunes often fit with strings (“Proud,” “Bobby,” “Powerful Man”) and left-field instrumentals that vary between hardcore freak-outs (“Brick”) and restless, wild fits (“Horse”). What some might find discombobulated is one cohesive vision in the mind of Alex Giannascoli. A guy-next-door songwriter so brilliant and special that Frank Ocean nabbed his talents for both Endless and Blonde, Giannascoli tells tales that aren’t always relatable and might only make sense to him, but still somehow feel like home.
Whether the spine says (Sandy) Alex G (or just Alex G), the D.I.Y. Bandcamp legend continues to expand beyond bedroom songwriting and no longer has to worry about listeners getting their hands on physical copies of his records. I think Alex G may actually snore in melodies. Even a cursory listen to Rocket makes one thing abundantly clear: Alex Giannascoli knows his way around a song, maybe even in his sleep. For all the ease with which he slips into a perfect strummer like “Proud”, it’s no less natural for him to shift gears into a sound collage (“Horse”) or an industrial shouter (“Brick”), always patient, letting sounds simmer, and finding striking moments in what for most musicians would just be “dicking around” before, during, or after the “real song.”
Alex G has opened up to find a language that speaks for more than just himself.” Look not further than “Bobby” to understand that praise. There are no tricks here. Soft-stepping strums, violin, and the vocal help of Emily Yacina come together to make this heart-on-a-sleeve, tender duet one of the most relatable songs of the year so far. “Bobby” talks to feelings we all know: depression, guilt, suspicion, and, most movingly, the desire to abandon our hangups, habits, and ruts to be better for someone else. You won’t find a simpler lyric than “I’d leave him (clean it/burn them) for you/ If you want me to,” but it translates to any language with a beating heart.
Alex Giannascoli has been killing it since race and he has remained my favorite musician, lyricist, and overall artist for the past 2 years. Seeing him evolve off of his idiosyncratic sound and add onto it with more layers of experimentation and character is phenomenal. ive been waiting for this album for a long time
“Rocket” is Philadelphia-based artist Alex G’s eighth full-length release—an assured statement that follows a slate of humble masterpieces, many of them self-recorded and self-released, stretching from 2010’s RACE to his 2015 Domino debut, Beach Music.
Amid the Rocket recording process, Alex G made headlines for catching the attention of Frank Ocean, who asked him to play guitar on his two 2016 albums, Endless and Blonde. More than any stylistic cues, what Alex took from the experience was a newfound confidence in collaboration. Rocket wears this collaborative spirit proudly, and in its numerous contributors presents a restless sense of musical experimentation – effortlessly jumping from distorted sound collage to dreamy folk music to bouncing Americana.
Rocket illustrates a cohesive vision of contemporary American experience; the cast of characters that Alex G inhabits have fun, fall in love, develop obsessions, get in trouble, and—much like rockets themselves—ultimately they burn out. Alex, though, in a collection of songs that’s both his tightest and most adventurous, is poised only for the ascent.
The Fat Angel Sings 