Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory has nothing on (Sandy) Alex G’s delectable new album House of Sugar. Alex Giannascoli is the man behind the project and has constructed a masterpiece that is his ninth official album.
The trance-like intro song “Walk Away” takes your imagination to the Wonka boat ride scene as they enter the tumultuous tunnel. Like the riders on the boat, just sit back and submit your senses to the mantra Alex croons, “Someday I’m gonna walk away from you. Not today, not today.” This surreal sound pans out and transitions to Giannascoli’s classic, head-bopping strum patterns.
A beautiful transition of ups and downs, the album features sprinklings of Alex’s original Philadelphia bedroom sound sandwiched between new melodious beats, adding delicious layers to each song. In the third track “Southern Sky,” Alex is accompanied by his long-time friend and fellow Philly-raised musician, Emily Yacina. The female vocalist never fails to deliver sparkling notes of extra dimension in his tracks, such as in “Harvey” and “Treehouse.”
On the topic of dimension, a track that is sure to hit your sweet tooth is “Gretel.” Opening with dreamy lyrics, the song opens the door to the saccharine palace that seems to have a spell-binding aura plaguing all who enter. House of Sugar’s sound is quite distinct; It can be found in a spot between where lo-fi rock and indie folk bleed together.
The song “Gretel” is a perfect harmony of Alex’s iconic strumming blended with high-pitched distorted voices and synth-pop elements. The sound guides listeners into a repetitious reverie; slightly daunting, yet simultaneously freeing. The medley of music is a unique genre that only Sandy himself is the master of.
Diving down the chimeric chasm of the album immerses you in an odd feeling of catharsis. There is a certain comfort in his music that plucks at old heart strings and resurfaces feelings that are difficult to put a name to. Listening to the album feels like peering into a fragment envisioned in a dream. House of Sugar is not quite the idyllic dream one would assume it to be.
By alluding to the title of his album to Philadelphia’s SugarHouse casino, Alex personifies the familiar feelings that come when you gamble dreams in the game of life: desire, greed, aspiration, nostalgia, ruin, questioning, and isolation. Yet, as the second track is titled, there is a resounding feeling of “Hope.”
No matter how tough life is to swallow, just a spoonful of House of Sugar makes the medicine go down. Kick back and have a listen. Your ears will be in for a sweet treat.
