– By Fenton Wright, Web Services Coordinator
Artist: Alex G
Album: Headlights
Favorite Songs: “June Guitar,” “Afterlife,” and “Headlights”
For Fans Of: Big Thief, Radiohead, and Car Seat Headrest
New Chapter
“Headlights” is the ninth studio album by Alex G and features 12 songs totaling around 40 minutes. Since releasing “God Save The Animals” in 2022, G has worked on two film soundtracks, one of them being I Saw The TV Glow, which came out in 2023.
G unpacks some of what life has revealed to him over the past three years since his previous album release. This album sees G move his sound to one of a more conventional popstar, while at the same time retaining that same sound that garnered him fans on albums like DSU in 2014. Headlights explores themes of rebirth, fatherhood, and reminiscing on what Alex G’s youth was like across the entire album, as we follow him into this new chapter of his life.
Sounds of Summer
One thing that is abundantly clear in the first half of this album is that it fully encapsulates what summer is all about. Almost every song on the album, whether it be through composition or lyrics, draws us back to summer and the carefree nature of this time of year.
On the opening track, “June Guitar,” the instrumentals capture the nostalgia that comes along with summer. In the intro to the song, we hear a guitar-shaker as well as an acoustic guitar, which instantly sends us back to when we were younger and things felt simpler. Add to that the pitched-up childlike voice that underlies the entire song, and you have Alex G at his best on this song.
The lyrics on this song also have the same effect as the instrumentals. Here, in my opinion, is speaking on the feeling of having both you and your lover trying to live somewhat independently of one another. While you do love each other, you still want to be successful outside of them so that you feel of equal worth to one another.
The next song on the album, “Real Thing,” gives us a glimpse into the mindset of Alex G. He feels as if life for him lacks authenticity. He is constantly searching for it, but can not seem to find it. In this song, he finds that authenticity in being a father to his child only. In himself, as he says, “No, I never thought I was the real thing,” G sees someone who is no longer his original self. He sees an artist who has been made into what his label wants him to be. In the final line of the song, we see the hope that G has for his child’s life not to be like his: “Maybe when you’re older, you can give me that.”
The third song off the album is “Afterlife.” To me, this is one of the best Alex G songs, lyrically and production-wise. “Afterlife” is where we fully realize the theme of rebirth and fatherhood on this album. This song feels like a conversation that a father is having internally with himself as he is with his son. He recognizes how, now that he is a parent, he has gone through a rebirth of sorts from a man into a father, which are two separate identities. No longer can he be reckless, because now he has something even greater to lose.
Another thing about this song that I love is the way that he conveys this change in his life. The “light” that he refers to throughout the song is his son, and once he came into this world, he quite literally “began another life.”
“Beam Me Up,” the fourth song, follows Alex G as he tries to reconcile what his priorities are. He is stuck between wanting to be able to be with his kid as he grows up, and also chasing the dream that a younger version of Alex G wanted. He knows that even now, he has made it much farther than he ever thought possible, but because of that, people rely on him. In the end, it does not come across to me that Alex himself knows what to do.
The next song on the album, “Spinning,” is more of a straightforward love song. The singer in this song rushed himself and his lover into a relationship. What started as strong at first devolved into something else. Now their love is lost, but the singer is still not ready to give up on their relationship.
The sixth song, “Louisiana,” again sees Alex G tapping back into his older self. He uses a much darker tone on this song, which gives it a much more angsty feel when compared to other songs on the album. Another part of this song that helps it stand out is how the music almost overwhelms you in a tirade of emotions that hit you unexpectedly while listening to this song.
Growing Up
Another call back to Alex G’s earlier career comes in the form of “Bounce Boy.” On this song, it is again a love song about forgiving the ways someone may have wronged you in the past. G takes accountability for everything that he has done and asks his lover to stay with him despite his shortcomings. Again, this is a testament to the maturity that this new version of Alex G has. He shows a new depth and maturity in his songs, which, while already present, are explored more thoroughly.
On “Oranges,” Alex G heavily revisits the theme of growing up that is all over Headlights. In this song, he mentions the idea of portraits being unrecognizable to him. They are portraits of himself, and he has trouble associating himself with the person he sees, because he has changed so much since taking them.. To me, that makes this song feel as if it is an affirmation to his younger self that he will evolve and change, and not to be scared of that change.
“Far and Wide,” to me, feels like a song meant for his partner. It talks about his search for a place “far and wide,” and I take that to me his search for the person that he truly loves. With her, they both have had to sacrifice for one another, but in the process, he has also learned to be himself around her and not hide who he is.
“Headlights” is one of my favorite songs on this album because it describes life in such a straightforward manner that it is easy to overanalyze this song. The entirety of the song is about how Alex G, throughout his life, has lived fast. He has not allowed himself to become attached to anything. As he says, “Yeah, my heart’s insane, let the money pave my way.” He would rather not think and go through the motions as opposed to letting his emotions guide him.
I think that this song is a beautiful depiction of the quiet desperation and resignation that many people feel daily. We choose what is easiest and what puts us at risk for as little pain as possible, without considering the potential upside of other options.
“Is It Still You In There?” harks back to the song “Beam Me Up.” Again, here, Alex G, in a very direct fashion, wonders what a younger version of himself might think of him now. He evokes this feeling of youth with the choir that sings the lyrics of this song. He asks the question, “What have I become,” not in a degrading way to himself, but in a way that seeks to put the expectations of what he wanted to be versus what he has become.
The final song on Headlights, “Logan Hotel (Live),” ties the overarching theme of life together. In this song, Alex G and his lover must make decisions forced upon them by the world. They make them together and with full confidence in one another as they begin to live life together as a whole and not separate. That seems to be one of the points of this album. The sacrifices that you make when you choose to love someone are things that you have to be willing to give up and not spite them for.
An Alex G Summer
That is it for Headlights! This album was way more than I initially expected. It immediately hooked me with the way Alex G chose to tackle the idea of maturing and growing up both internally and externally!
