Alex Giannascoli, known artistically as Alex G, has released seven full-length albums. His most recent album “Beach Music” debuted earlier this month on Oct. 9. His first six albums were self-recorded, but “Beach Music” was released in collaboration with Domino Records. Hailing from Philadelphia, Giannascoli began his music career as a bedroom singer-songwriter but has accumulated a large following over the past several years.
In “Beach Music,” Giannascoli stays in keeping with his eerie, indie rock style, using a variety of string and percussion instruments to produce a unique, haunting sound.
The album opens with a short intro piece, which combines different instruments to produce a jarring feeling, forcing the listener to pay attention to what they are hearing and prepare for the rest of the album.
All of the songs contain heavy string elements in addition to keeping a slow tempo. As a result, many of the songs blend into each other, which allows for easy listening, but also produces a stale feeling for some of the tracks. Many of the lyrics strive to be more eccentric than relatable, leaving the listener perplexed as to what Giannascoli is actually singing about.
That being said, there are a couple of stand-out pieces on the album. “Bug,” undoubtedly the best track, is one of the more upbeat pieces due to its use of a catchy melody. The track becomes downright strange towards the end, as Giannascoli alters his voice electronically to become whinier and more high-pitched.
“Brite Boy” produces a much more whimsical feeling than any other track, proclaiming “Brite Boy/I could love you/If you let me/Be your wife.” Its constant strumming allows listeners to sing along to the fairly simplistic lyrics.
“In Love” also stands out, as Giannascoli adapts his voice to sound more like warbling. The sound this produces, in addition to the use of piano and trumpet, produces an old-timey, bluesy effect not found anywhere else on the album.
The album draws to a close with “Snot,” a rather disappointing finish to an already only satisfactory album. While “Snot” encompasses the same strings and drums from many of the other songs, it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. The album merely fades out instead of ending with a bang, leaving the listener to feel unsatisfied with the recording.
Overall, “Beach Music” is a fine addition to the collection of any indie rock enthusiast, but the cohesion of the album can easily make the album appear repetitive to some listeners. The album accomplishes its goal of being unique and easy to listen to but does not appeal to a wider audience.
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