Rocket (Alex G album)

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Rocket
Studio album by
Alex G
ReleasedMay 19, 2017 (2017-05-19)
Genre
Length41:46
LabelDomino
ProducerAlex Giannascoli
Alex G chronology
Beach Music
(2015) 		Rocket
(2017) 		House of Sugar
(2019)
Singles from Rocket
  1. "Bobby"
    Released: March 2, 2017
  2. "Witch"
    Released: March 2, 2017
  3. "Proud"
    Released: April 4, 2017
  4. "Brick"
    Released: May 4, 2017
  5. "Sportstar"
    Released: May 4, 2017

Rocket is the seventh studio album by American musician Alex G, released on May 19, 2017, through Domino Recording Company.

Release[edit]

On March 2, 2017, Giannascoli announced that his seventh studio album, Rocket, would be released on May 19. The announcement was accompanied by the release of the first two singles, "Bobby" and "Witch", the former accompanied by a music video directed by Colin Acchione (who played bass on two of the album's tracks).[4][5] On April 4, Giannascoli announced the change of his stage name from Alex G to (Sandy) Alex G, and shared another single, "Proud" alongside a music video.[6] On May 4, he shared two more singles, "Brick" and "Sportstar", with a music video accompanying the latter.[7]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.7/10[8]
Metacritic82/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
The A.V. ClubB+[11]
Consequence of SoundB+[12]
DIY[13]
Exclaim!9/10[14]
The Guardian[15]
MusicOMH[16]
Pitchfork8.4/10[1]
Q[17]
Uncut6/10[18]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, Rocket received an average score of 82, based on 21 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[9] Writing for Pitchfork, Ian Cohen said, "Sometimes, there really is no substitute for the revelations that come when an artist unlocks the mysteries of their work. But it's certainly the reason why Rocket feels like one of the year's most endlessly generous records, as Alex G's restraint is our gift that keeps on giving."[1] AllMusic's Marcy Donelson stated that Giannascoli is "far from catering to the mainstream here, but through it all, the wistful chords and progressions that are such a trademark of his sound act as a sonic through-line. Also uniting the album are immediate, conversational vocals and, similarly, an impression that accompaniment is gathered in a circle playing along by ear."[10] David Sackllah of Consequence of Sound said, "As inscrutable as it can be at times, Giannascoli never betrays his purpose, making Rocket his most developed and accomplished album yet."[12]

The A.V. Club critic Josh Terry said, "Even though Rocket sometimes feels messy, only a songwriter as prolific and uninhibited as Giannascoli can make the chaos this thrilling and affecting."[11] Sam Shepherd of MusicOMH wrote, "Alex G's skill is in tackling difficult subjects and squeezing them into the most wonderful kernels of pop, and once again, he’s succeeded here."[16] DIY's Will Richards said, "Slowing down and refining his output has allowed Alex the time to make Rocket a brilliantly considered next step. It's also his catchiest record yet."[13] Sammy Maine of The Quietus wrote, "The raw and at times, ferocious navigation of the album soars in its earnest delivery and marks a career-defining release for (Sandy) Alex G."[19] The Guardian writer Harriet Gibsone stated, "It is at times unpleasant, but Rocket has no ambitions to score a dinner party. The frantic interchanging of emotions--like the internal monologue of someone with a hellish hangover at ATP in 2009--is a challenging, ambitious progression."[15]

Accolades[edit]

Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Clash Albums of the Year 2017
41
[20]
Consequence of Sound Top 50 Albums of 2017
26
[3]
Crack Magazine The Top 100 Albums of 2017
30
[21]
Digital Trends 50 Best Albums of 2017
25
[22]
Esquire The Best Albums of 2017
5
[23]
Exclaim! Top 20 Pop & Rock Albums
16
[24]
musicOMH Top 50 Albums Of 2017
33
[25]
NME Albums of the Year 2017
40
[26]
Noisey The 100 Best Albums of 2017
20
[27]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2017
48
[28]
PopMatters The 60 Best Albums of 2017
51
[2]
Spin 50 Best Albums of 2017 So Far
44
[29]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2017
21
[30]
Time Out New York 29 Best Albums of 2017
5
[31]
Uproxx 50 Best Albums of 2017
46
[32]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Alex Giannascoli

No.TitleLength
1."Poison Root"2:25
2."Proud"4:57
3."County"3:02
4."Bobby"3:43
5."Witch"2:40
6."Horse"2:04
7."Brick"2:12
8."Sportstar"3:51
9."Judge"2:30
10."Rocket"1:59
11."Powerful Man"3:39
12."Alina"3:03
13."Big Fish"2:12
14."Guilty"3:34
Total length:41:46

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Rocket.[33]

  • Molly Germer – violin (tracks 1, 4, 5, 10–13), backing vocals (tracks 2, 8)
  • David Allen Scoli – piano (tracks 2), saxophone (tracks 14), backing vocals (tracks 14)
  • Samuel Acchione – guitar (tracks 3), slide guitar (tracks 4), backing vocals (tracks 14)
  • Colin Acchione – bass (tracks 2, 11)
  • John Heywood – bass (tracks 3, 4, 8)
  • Emily Yacina – backing vocals (tracks 4, 12)
  • Erin Porter – backing vocals (tracks 14)
  • Jacob Portrait – mixing
  • Heba Kadry – mastering
  • Rachel Giannascoli – artwork

Charts[edit]

Chart (2017) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[34] 7
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[35] 23

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Cohen, Ian (May 19, 2017). "(Sandy) Alex G: Rocket". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "The 60 Best Albums of 2017". PopMatters. December 11, 2017. p. 1. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Top 50 Albums of 2017". Consequence of Sound. December 26, 2017. p. 2. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  4. ^ Dandridge-lemco, Ben (March 2, 2017). "Listen To Two New Songs From Alex G's Upcoming Rocket Album". The Fader. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  5. ^ Rettig, James (March 2, 2017). "Alex G – "Bobby" & "Witch"". Stereogum. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  6. ^ Dandridge-lemco, Ben (April 4, 2017). "Alex G Announces Name Change To (Sandy) Alex G, Shares New Single "Proud"". The Fader. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  7. ^ Richards, Will (May 4, 2017). "(Sandy) Alex G Shares Two New Tracks And Announces Uk Tour". DIY. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  8. ^ "Rocket by (Sandy) Alex G reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Reviews and Tracks for Rocket by (Sandy) Alex G". Metacritic. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Donelson, Marcy. "Rocket – (Sandy) Alex G". AllMusic. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  11. ^ a b Terry, Josh (May 19, 2017). "(Sandy) Alex G is a little bit country, a little bit odd on the affecting Rocket". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Sackllah, David (May 17, 2017). "(Sandy) Alex G – Rocket". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  13. ^ a b Richards, Will (May 19, 2017). "(Sandy) Alex G – Rocket". DIY. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  14. ^ Sylvester, Daniel (May 17, 2017). "(Sandy) Alex G: Rocket". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  15. ^ a b Gibsone, Harriet (May 18, 2017). "(Sandy) Alex G: Rocket review – a fierce and frenzied bid for stardom". The Guardian. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  16. ^ a b Shepherd, Sam (May 22, 2017). "(Sandy) Alex G – Rocket". MusicOMH. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  17. ^ Solomon, Kate (August 2017). "(Sandy) Alex G: Rocket". Q (375): 108.
  18. ^ Wray, Daniel Dylan (June 2017). "Alex G: Rocket". Uncut (241): 28.
  19. ^ Maine, Sammy (May 26, 2017). "(Sandy) Alex G – Rocket". The Quietus. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  20. ^ "Albums Of The Year 2017". Clash. December 19, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  21. ^ "The Top 100 Albums of 2017". Crack Magazine. p. 2. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  22. ^ Hall, Parker (December 2, 2017). "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Digital Trends. p. 3. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  23. ^ Miller, Matt (December 29, 2017). "The Best Albums of 2017". Esquire. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  24. ^ "Exclaim!'s Top 20 Pop & Rock Albums, 20 to 11 Best of 2017". Exclaim!. November 28, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  25. ^ Hubbard, Michael (December 22, 2017). "Top 50 Albums Of 2017". musicOMH. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  26. ^ "NME's Albums of the Year 2017". NME. November 23, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  27. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2017". Noisey. December 6, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  28. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Pitchfork. December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  29. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2017 So Far". Spin. June 5, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  30. ^ Stereogum Staff (December 5, 2017). "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Stereogum. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  31. ^ "29 Best Albums of 2017 You Need to Know". Time Out New York. December 11, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  32. ^ "All The Best Albums Of 2017, Ranked". Uproxx. December 4, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  33. ^ Rocket (liner notes). (Sandy) Alex G. Domino Recording Company. 2017. WIGMC398.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  34. ^ "Sandy Alex G Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  35. ^ "Sandy Alex G Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
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