(Sandy) Alex G
Rocket
[Domino]
Following the death of director Jonathan Demme, I’ve been thinking a lot about empathy in art. Demme’s work is routinely lauded for the time and energy it affords to showcasing the lives, perspectives and stories of disparate individuals. Never suggesting one worldview or even one emotion should be afforded precedence over the rest. All feelings, not just the BIG one (your Loves, your Hates etc) are worthy of equal artistic consideration. The Human experience is what captivated Demme, not the experience of the individual. On his latest, most rounded work to date, (Sandy) Alex G takes this idea and runs with, turning into something of an indie rock Demme – an empath in the extreme.
Over the course of Rocket, Alex G showcases a sincere, humanist warmth wholly uncommon in an artistic landscape that often priorities courageous expectations into the unmapped regions of one’s own arse. Song after song appeals to the notion of concern for others divorced from any explicitly romantic overtones. The emotional openness that runs through Rocket is mirrored in its sonic eclecticism. Alex G has given himself over to this idea of equal representation, breezy americana and bludgeoning industrial soundscape are both given their fair shake on Rocket and against all odds, both read as equally honestly felt. Multi-faceted and gently revelatory, Mr.G has outdone himself.
Words – Danny Wilson
Like this? Try these:
Akron/Family – Akron/Family
Joan of Arc – A Portable Model Of
Sparklehorse – It’s a Wonderful Life
