Alex G

"Cold"

[Self-released; 2013]



By Brendan Frank; January 31, 2013 

The sheer scale of 420 Love Songs is enough to warrant a moment of awe. It’s aiming to dwarf its most robust competitor by a factor of 6. Despite what the Bandcamp may suggest, 420 Love Songs is not actually being curated by Gucci Mane, but by Sam Ray, formerly of Baltimore noise rock duo Teen Suicide. Working with over a dozen collaborators, they’ve only just pushed out the first 40 tracks from this mammoth undertaking. “Cold,” a cut by Suburban Philadelphian Alex G, is an immediate standout.

Bringing to mind the best of 90s alternative, “Cold” uses nothing but an acoustic guitar, fidgeting percussion and a lovely melody to worm its way into your heart. Lyrically dark, but with an astuteness that can’t be ignored, it’s as fixating as anything you’ll hear all winter.  That it works in the context of a product of so many minds is almost a little freaky. Listened to from start to finish, the quality of these songs stands tall alongside their ambition. At the moment, 420 Love Songs finds itself in the unique (and enviable) position of being both something to enjoy and something to look forward to.

The first 40 songs of 420 Love Songs are available now on Bandcamp