God Save the Animals – Alex G

Good Save the Animals – Alex G

By: Elizabeth Zoerner

God Save the Animals is Alex G’s newest indie rock album and was released by Domino Records on September 23, 2022. Being the ninth studio album by Alex G (Alex Giannascoli), this album explores newer sounds for the artist, as he worked with sound engineers to produce it. Earlier in his music career, he wrote and produced all his own music using Bandcamp, then would later pitch it to music executives. Though it is seen as more refined than his other albums, he is still able to keep some of his signature sounds including a rustic voice and acoustic guitar. This thirteen-track album follows the general idea of Giannascoli finding a religious entity, rather than a specific God. Though this album has only been out for a little over a week, it is highly regarded as one of his best yet as it has soaring reviews from sites like Pitchfork and The Harvard Crimson. Personally, this album is hit or miss, as some tracks I absolutely love and some I would rather just skip. “Runner”, being the second single released from this album, would have to be my personal favorite. Like many of his songs, they have been left to listeners own interpretations as some think this song has to do with a man he looks up to, while others think it is about his dog. Lyrics like “my runner, my man” and “I like people who I can open up to” are paired with a dreamy guitar sound and an emphasis on the drum parts. My second favorite song of the album is “Miracles”, which was the fourth and final single released before the release of the album itself. The blend of the high acoustic guitar and violin brings a feeling of spring to the listener. In an interview about this album and song, Alex said “I love exploring those concepts lyrically because I don’t have to have any answers. I can just paint an abstract picture and see what happens,” he told Pitchfork. “Forgive”, the last song on the album, is my third favorite from God Save the Animals. Giannascoli mixes conventional rock sounds, like electric guitar and heavy drum parts, with a light melodic banjo sound to pair. As a song about moving on and forgiving what has happened, it is the perfect way to finish this album. For I and many other fans of Alex G, this album was highly anticipated. Though some songs did disappoint as they were not my style, I still would give this album a 6/10, as I still found songs I absolutely love.

Rating: 6/10

Favorites: “Runner”, “Miracles”, and “Forgive”