Six months ago, I watched Alex G (real name Alex Giannascoli) scare the absolute crap out a bunch of semi-drunk Fader Fort-goers with a blood curdling scream during the middle of a rather dreary “Icehead” rendition. It was a move I was anticipating and most, likely, were not. I knew the scream was coming, after seeing him just a month prior in Chicago at his latest Beat Kitchen appearance. The 22 year old carried himself in a way that seemed awkward, but in a way that was confident in his own mind, therefore asserting to you he was rather sure of himself. I don’t recall him saying anything when he first stepped on the stage that night, maybe a “hello” or “hey”, I just remember him picking up his guitar and rattling off his then recent DSU album that had gotten my attention in the first place. Giannascoli didn’t say much that concert besides “Thanks” in the seemingly exact same way every time, except for when he started to banter on about some band that used “NUKE MY NIPPLES OFF” as a line in one of their songs, which he startlingly screamed at the audience without much warning. But I was hooked after seeing him perform none the less, even when he got me the first time around with his no warning, blood curdling scream. DSU illustrated much of my senior year of college and honestly, nothing will ever change that.
Last Friday, Alex G’s follow up to DSU dropped under his brand new Domino Records deal. The longtime Bandcamp hero, known for releasing his music by himself, has stepped into a newfound light of accessibility to not-so avid listeners and music diggers. Beach Music, however, is something a little bit spicier than what he normally serves. While DSU was a collection of campy summer songs, Beach Music has a darker and more experimental edge to it. On “Salt”, Giannascoli eerily describes flying through a dream into a love interests room and seeing them nude while a choir of pitched voices droan a sad, bluesy melody. It’s a more mature, twisted way of exploring the idea of love compared to something he would’ve done on DSU, and I enjoy the turn in a stranger direction. “In Love” is another dive into turning his peppy love song ways into something deeper. A trumpet solo begins over seemingly familiar blues chords on a dusty sounding piano before Giannascoli’s insecure voice barely gets out “Say what you will / well I know what I am / uncertain at best”. It’s a definitely low point for the album, which begins its first four songs with rather danceable tempos, but it offers another glimpse into Giannascoli finding more abstract and gloomy ways to explore love.
Alex Giannascoli is only 22 years old but already has a plethora of music available for your listening pleasure. Much of it is unmixed and unmastered, but the heart is in everyone of his songs. Beach Music, in many ways, is a coming of age album that might not be picture perfect, but it gives you the sense that the young singer/songwriter is taking steps in the right direction to finding his signature sound. While DSU was incredibly easy to digest and appreciate, Beach Music requires you to think deeper. Catchy riffs have been swapped with dark chord progressions and lyrics of glory have been replaced with those of self doubt. It’s clear Giannascoli is maturing in his songwriting, as well as getting more daring with his soundscapes, and I can tell this is only the beginning of a career for what I think will be an artist for a generation.
