Beyond the glow of a blue screen, a new world comes into view, a space unbound from the material conventions of health and wealth – one’s knowledge and technical prowess act as the key to foraging for content. Free from the traditional constraints that have plagued musicians for decades, there is more room available for experimentation, for tooling around with parts until a flash of understanding allows oneself to arrive at new avenues for conveying one’s art. Software is increasingly accessible and powerful, while platforms such as Bandcamp and Soundcloud allow artists to self-publish and organically develop a following. Alex Giannascoli, the 24-year-old Philly recording artist behind the moniker (Sandy) Alex G, is a prime example of what can be accomplished when making music and making it available is placed in the hands of the artist. Over the past 6 years, Giannascoli has gone from bedroom-pop aficionado to indie-rock sensation, recently releasing his latest album, Rocket, via Domino Records.
The record exhibits a rare sophistication in arrangement, hosting a range of compositions that span from sunny bluegrass and folk ballads to more challenging songs that pummel the listener under a heavy sonic fist. “Horse” and “Brick” hit fast, and play into one another, an off-kilter rhythmic barrage of kaleidoscopic guitars that fold into an industrial head-bobber complete with frantically swirling strings and screaming. This moment of intense catharsis is cut cleanly with piano and auto-tuned vocals, leading eager listeners by the hand in an act of assurance and faith in the album’s direction. Tracks such as “County” and “Guilty” incorporate jazz modalities that are woven in with lush, pop palettes, showcasing his sensibility for meshing a variety of influences into one clean package. “Bobby” and “Proud” open up the space of the record to work in endearing Americana and elements of country, demonstrating his seemingly effortless mastery of melody.
Taken under a microscope, Rocket is composed of a host of genres, yet from start to finish it eludes classification. An understanding of the principles respective to each style at play grants Alex the ability to draw from the wealth of Western guitar-pop to occupy a territory unique to the project, a space that is respectful of his predecessors while making a statement that is characteristically his own. – Josh Kelly