God Save the Animals
Part of the appeal of Alex G’s homespun folk pop is how unsettling it is. For every Beatles-y melody (“Mission”) or warm, reassuring chorus (“Early Morning Waiting”) there’s the image of a cocked gun (“Runner”) or a mangled voice lurking in the mix like the monster in a fairy-tale forest (“S.D.O.S”). His characters describe adult perspectives with the terror and wonder of children (“No Bitterness,” “Blessing”), and several tracks make awestruck references to God. With every album, he draws closer to the conventions of American indie rock without touching them. And by the time you realize he isn’t just another guy in his bedroom with an acoustic guitar, it’s too late.
“God” figures in the ninth album from Philadelphia, PA based Alex Giannascoli's LP’s title, its first song, and multiple of its thirteen tracks thereafter, not as a concrete religious entity but as a sign for a generalized sense of faith (in something, anything) that fortifies Giannascoli, or the characters he voices, amid the songs’ often fraught situations. Beyond the ambient inspiration of pop, Giannascoli has been drawn in recent years to artists who balance the public and hermetic, the oblique and the intimate, and who present faith more as a shared social language than religious doctrine. As with his previous records, Giannascoli wrote and demoed these songs by himself, at home; but, for the sake of both new tones and “a routine that was outside of my apartment,” he asked some half-dozen engineers to help him produce the “best” recording quality, whatever that meant. The result is an album more dynamic than ever in its sonic palette. Recorded by Mark Watter, Kyle Pulley, Scoops Dardaris at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia, PA Eric Bogacz at Spice House in Philadelphia, PA Jacob Portrait at SugarHouse in New York, NY & Clubhouse in Rhinebeck, NY Connor Priest, Steve Poponi at Gradwell House Recording in Haddon Heights, NJ Earl Bigelow at Watersong Music in Bowdoinham, ME home in Philadelphia, PA Additional vocals by Jessica Lea Mayfield on “After All” Additional vocals by Molly Germer on “Mission” Guitar performed by Samuel Acchione on “Mission”, “Blessing”, “Early Morning Waiting”, “Forgive” Banjo performed by Samuel Acchione on “Forgive” Bass performed by John Heywood on “Blessing”, “Early Morning Waiting”, “Forgive” Drums performed by Tom Kelly on “No Bitterness”, “Blessing”, “Forgive” Strings arranged and performed by Molly Germer on “Early Morning Waiting”, “Miracles”
Placing its faith in the healing power of animals and Auto-Tune, Alex Giannascoli’s most hopeful record stands out for its grounded patience and moments of sharp lyrical simplicity.
The cult star's latest further confirms his place as one of his generation's most consistently brilliant songwriters
For those who've drawn close to the trollish teenaged image thats defined Alex G for over a decade, get used to a more contemplative version of this baby-faced, pants-pissing legend.
The enigmatic Philadelphia musician takes inspiration from melodic radio rock on his surprising, gorgeous new album.
'God Save The Animals' brings a stunning display of vulnerability which will have you hooked from the offset.
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God Save the Animals is Alex G's most sonically consistent record, managing to turn the darkness into light on the turn of a devastating key change.
Most artists with nine full-length albums to their name have either settled into a comfortable groove or slowly fizzled out of relevancy — A...
It’s “too late to slow down now” sings Alex Giannascoli on “Mission.” Better known as indie-rock dignitary Alex G, the Philly musician’s creative output feels limitless, certainly, expeditious, with the release of his ninth album, God Save the Animals, in just 12 years.
'God Save The Animals' is lo-fi king Alex G’s ninth full length project, and his first in three years (besides 2022’s 'We’re All Going
God Save The Animals by Alex G: another idiosyncratic collection of songs by the prolific Philadelphian artist
‘God Save the Animals’ finds the already ponderous Alex G in a particularly inquisitive mood. Read our review.
God Save The Animals by Alex G Album Review by Adam Fink. The multi-artist's full-length is now available via Domino Records and DSPs
Since 2010, Alex G has managed to release nine albums, most of which have achieved an impressive underground reputation.
Throughout his early work, including 2015’s Beach Music (his initial release with Domino), the PA-born Alex G navigated laptop-punk and bedroom-pop templates, epitomizing a DIY aesthetic. Drawing from diverse sources – including Elliott Smith’s and The Microphones’ avant folk, Pavement’s idiosyncratic pop, Animal Collective’s iconoclastic gestalts, and Deerhunter’s noisy yet hook-informed forays pre-Halcyon Digest –