Deer In The Headlights

Alex G’s music is notable for its balance between being quite accessible (easy sounds on the ears that can feel relatable) and obfuscation (kind of all over the place, doesn’t “make sense”). His sonic palette includes delicate acoustic guitar riffs, very hushed vocals, detuned pianos that make it feel “off”, lo-fi drum machines, and sudden forays into distortion or digital manipulation. A lot of the time, his tracks will start with familiar indie folk textures and veer into alien, glitchy territory mid-song. This unpredictability has become one of his signatures. It’s this sort of signature that really creates an immersive listening experience where warmth and unease often coexist. Of course, you could get artsy fartsy with it, which I will! This sort of sonic landscape is one that tells the story of warmth not immediately meaning or being comfort. A sound that has the collaborative existence of emotions that feel or are polar opposite. Recognizing that us humans feel both sides, all sides.

Production-wise, his work is intimate, almost tactile, often sounding like it was recorded in a bedroom - because, for much of it, it was. Yet, even as he’s matured into studio settings, Alex G hasn’t abandoned the rawness that defines his earlier catalog. He weaves in layered vocal harmonies, unconventional song structures, and ambient soundscapes to create music that feels emotionally immediate but thematically elusive. His songs don’t resolve so much as unravel, which can be tough for some listeners. And to be honest with you, this is how I felt when I first started listening to Alex’s tunes.

Why listen? Because his music makes the familiar feel strange and the strange feel familiar. Something like overhearing a dream you’ve half-forgotten. He writes songs that don’t just tell stories; they leave impressions that stick with you long after the sound fades.

A Step Further - Ultimately, Headlights is a mature, impressionistic meditation on memory, identity, and the unknowable parts of ourselves and others. It doesn’t offer clarity or catharsis, but in its ambiguity, it captures something deeply honest about the way we experience emotion: messy, unresolved, and beautiful.