Avant-garde pop music has a new saviour in Allie X
"Cape God"
While on the originating side of this phenomenon sits the likes of Charli XCX et al. - who've been reinforcing those boundary-pushing ideas, on the south-facing side, creeping on through, comes the new; voices like Allie X.
Recently, the Canadian musician has been carving her way into the aforementioned mix of icons thanks to a bubbling, enthusiastic following. Far from a newcomer to music, she's been evolving and experimenting with styles for years, but Cape God finally sees Allie X reaching her fullest potential.
The journey begins with the mysteriously lo-fi "Fresh Laundry", but soon recedes to let the "Devil I Know" breathe, offering two tunes destined to be pop bangers. If you do dare stray further into the experience of Cape God, you get to explore the wide breadth of musicianship this sensational record has to offer.
"Regulars" and "Rings A Bell" sit as a pair of deftly upbeat songs with an aura of four-chord earworms, but beneath lies a smirking personality that sets Allie X apart. However, the real gem at the heart of Cape God is the honesty. From "Life Of The Party" and its sarcastic, dark presences, to the vulnerable sparkles of "Sarah Come Home" and "Susie Save Your Love", the lost characters that dwell scream their truth. "Love Me Wrong" is home to vocal runs that draw natural comparisons to Lana Del Rey, with Troye Sivan’s harmonies adding a beautifully delicate balance.
Allie X's debut, 2017's CollXtion II, was a fun, if simplistic outing, but Cape God is an album undeniably made by a woman truly forging her own path however she sees fit. Not to mention championing the wickedly bright future of avant-garde, ascendant music.
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