If you look through the list of notable people from Havertown, Pennsylvania, a small suburb right outside of Philadelphia, you won’t see too much excitement. A couple of NBA referees and two kids who played in the NHL, but as you scroll down the list there is an alumnus of the sleepy suburb whose name has been shrouded in indie acclaim and mystery. Alex G has been paving his own lane on the indie circuit since his debut in 2010, the Havertown legend has gone on to craft an impressive resume of lo-fi indie classics and sturdy production credits.
Listening to Alex G’s discography is like watching a kid grow before you. You see him start to experiment outside of his original singer/songwriter material on 2012’s Trick as he experiments with new guitar filters and more textures in his instrumental work. Most notably, he contributed to Frank Ocean’s pair of groundbreaking albums in 2016. Alex G provided guitar and arrangement help to standout tracks like “Self Control” and “White Ferrari” off of Ocean’s opus Blonde along with lending his guitar stylings to multiple tracks off of the Blonde’s companion album Endless. That’s not to mention Alex G’s work with Porches and Japanese Breakfast.
All of the credit for Alex G’s rise is not related to his work with Ocean, he has been recording music since high school and played in a few bands early on before self-releasing a slew of singles, EPs, and his first two albums via Bandcamp between the years 2010-2012. This led to a deal with Orchid Tapes who issued Alex G’s 2014 album DSU which was released to much critical acclaim and also landed Alex G a deal with Domino Recording Co who released the songwriter’s sixth album Beach Music.
Coming off of his acclaimed production work, Alex G issued 2017’s folk-inspired Rocket which had the unsung songwriter charting for the first time with more full-sounding production work. His shine only brightened on 2019’s House of Sugar which landed on multiple “Best of” lists that year and cemented the Havertownian as one of the most exciting and mysterious songwriters working today.
Fast forward to 2022 and Alex G is prepping the release of his ninth album God Save The Animals due to be released September 23 via Domino. Coming off soundtracking the indie-horror film, “We’re All Going To The World’s Fair”, Alex G most recently took over Fallon to perform the single Runner.
Glide has been doing some prepping ourselves and compiled the 10 best songs from Alex G’s lengthy discography. Check out our list of Alex G essentials below:
“Gnaw”
Album: Race
Coming off of his 2010 debut, which was self-recorded and released, “Gnaw” is our first glimpse at Alex G’s raw talent. The off-kilter harmonies of the multiple guitar tones prove he has always had an ear for the avant-garde and the gentle whispered melody adds the finishing touch to this deeply textured track. The cryptic and almost dark lyrics are as poetic as they are vague, letting us know that Alex G always paid attention to every last detail possible when composing his records.
“Race“
Album: Race
The hectic nature of the intro to the title track from Alex G’s debut is a terrific setup for the lyrics that follow. In “Race”, Alex G airs any grievances that culminated from a past relationship. “Cause you’re a joke, yeah, you’re a hoax, and now I found you out” is just one venomous line from this anthem, it’s deep enough that you feel personally attacked but broad enough that you can apply a line like this to your own life. A balance that is hard to strike but comes naturally to Alex G and one of the many reasons he is such a great songwriter.
“Mis“
Album: Rules
A gentle piano welcomes you to this hit from the guitarist’s second album. A favorite among fans, “Mis” is a well-structured song that is just a glimpse at Alex G’s composing abilities. Although the lyrics are sparse on this cut, they’re as vulnerable as any other song from his discography. The melancholy nature of “Mis” details a longing so pure it could bring the most stoic person to tears. There is a beauty in the simplicity of this song which makes it a standout on Rules which is mostly filled with more up-tempo and lively tracks.
“Mary“
Album: Trick
Alex G’s second album of 2012, Trick, is a favorite amongst diehard fans, and for good reason. Songs like “Mary” have Alex G experimenting with new guitar tones and new mixing techniques that bring his signature falsetto to the forefront of the track. The lyrics tell the tale of a crush on this “Mary” character but what makes this song so great is the humming Alex G adds over the strong guitar sections. Each instrumental section introduces a new guitar tone and they get harsher as the song goes on, making this a highlight from an album full of veteran-style guitar playing.
“Serpent is Lord”
Album: DSU
DSU is Alex G’s first album released through a label of any kind and it shows in the mixing and mastering of this 2014 release. Featuring more of his signature poetry, the short yet precise songwriting is accompanied by whaling electric guitars that bleed into acoustic lullabies. Again we see Alex G’s natural knack for composing where he lets his strumming do the talking. His hushed vocals glide into the instrumental sections like his singing is coming from the guitar itself, proving that a song’s mix is just as important as its composition.
“Promise“
Album: DSU
After listening through the entirety of Alex G’s storied discography, there is nothing in there that sounds like “Promise”. The drums alone make this a standout on the album and that’s not even mentioning the funk-inspired guitar licks that make this track so unique. We are again seeing Alex G lean towards his whisper-based melodies which add a lovely touch to this mostly instrumental song. DSU is an album full of surprises but nothing is more shocking than the direction he took on “Promise”, Alex G’s vocal harmonies pair masterfully with the bouncy rhythm of the guitar.
“Salt”
Album: Beach Music
An album that gets overlooked far too often, 2015’s Beach Music is filled with hidden gems and more experimentation from Alex G. “Salt” is a major standout from the project, the harmonies are textured with what sounds like a children’s choir that float over the subtle guitar playing. Exactly at the halfway mark of this nearly 5-minute track, a rare length for Alex G whose songs rarely go past three minutes, the drum pattern from the intro of the song takes back control and provides a backdrop from the songwriter’s falsetto. While on the first listen the structure may seem out-of-the-ordinary, by the end of “Salt” you realize everything is exactly where it needs to be.
“Powerful Man“
Album: Rocket
All eyes were on Alex G for his 2017 album Rocket. Coming off of his multiple credits on Frank Ocean’s Blonde, expectations were high, and not only were exceeded but Alex G created an album no one saw coming. The folk-inspired twang of the album was brand new for the songwriter and a welcomed change. On “Powerful Man” we have the perfect mix of the Alex G we grew to love and the newly cemented powerhouse composer we were introduced to in 2016. Alex G’s vocals are in rare form here as he approaches in a deeper tone than we are used to as he details stories of the people around him.
“Guilty“
Album: Rocket
In past releases, Alex G proved he can create deeply textured songs all by himself, it wasn’t until the release of Rocket that we heard the full potential of Alex G’s production work. All of his lo-fi classics that made a name for the young songwriter culminated in the detail on the outro to this album, “Guilty”. Horn sections add to the jam-band atmosphere created in this song, we hear Alex G’s voice take a more prominent role than in the past but not prominent enough to take away from the arrangement of the instruments backing it.
“Southern Sky“
Album: House of Sugar
House of Sugar is Alex G’s most critically acclaimed album and for good reason. The songs on here are as beautiful as they are challenging. On “Southern Sky” we hear the twangy influence of Rocket mixed with the tender songwriting that makes House of Sugar so pretty. The lyrics show Alex G never left his poetic roots but here they are more evolved and detailed than ever before. The harmonies in the instrumental give this track a certain swing giving it a down-south feeling without departing too far from the indie sound Alex G began his career with. Making this the perfect mix of where the songwriter started and where he was when recording House of Sugar.
