Alex G, The Lexington

2015 was a big year for songwriter Alex G, with Beach Music, his first album for Domino Records, winning him considerable acclaim. We were among those singing his praises, and he even found his way onto our ‘Best of 2015’ list.

He’s a master of lo-fi indie , with a lengthy back catalogue stretching to seven albums, and an offbeat sensibility that allows him to stand out from so many of his contemporaries. There’s an understated ingenuity to his work, and his scuzzy soundscapes are full of character: an ocean of riddling lyricism and pitch-shifted vocals that seems designed for re-listening. His music entices with its unpredictability. One minute, he’s singing a jaunty duet with himself; the next, he’s crooning over a dawdling piano figure. There’s something enticing about the apparently inexplicable design of Beach Music, and one which has certainly had us returning.

There are, of course, musical reference points which can help you make sense of Alex G’s sound. There’s more than a hint of ‘90s slacker rock, and a touch of Animal Collective’s very earliest music, but it’s to G’s immense credit that really, this sounds like little else. It’s something you have to hear, and you can do just that on February 1 at The Lexington.