My other carp was that he would now and then call himself "(Sandy) Alex G", so finding his records in the (not literal) record bins became a nightmare, me not knowing whether to look under A or G or S or (.
Turns out there are at least two other Alex Gs out there, so the one I'm talking about maybe needed to distinguish himself.
And he's done that by continuing to appear on best-of-year and decade polls and putting out this record last year:
Alex G: God Save the Animals (2022)
I love the spare sound here. For the most part, just acoustic guitar, piano, and drums. I'm usually a more-is-better guy, but I realize now that it really only applies to things like chocolate chips and ketchup. This record leaves some room. And it's intimate enough to make it sound like he's playing in one, too. And sometimes there is more.
It's got the offhand feel of a good Neil Young record. I hear a bit of "Old Man" in "Forgive". And like Neil, he's a bit of a weirdo. Near the end, he sings:
How many more songs am I supposed to write Before I should turn it off and say good night?
You tell me, dude. You've got the nine albums out.
And he's clever enough to throw in a couple of female vocalists to compensate for his limited vocal range. He does manage to descend a dozen or so octaves (i.e., the depths of Hades) on "Blessing", though.
It doesn't have the relentless hooks of the Beths, but it is unpredictable in the best possible sense, and that's what gives it the edge.
What with the many times I've blindly dipped into current pop music and come up disappointed, I have to say that this time I got lucky.
And even better, Mrs. Jaybee likes it, too!
A
