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Trick (Alex G album)

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Trick
Studio album by
Alex G
ReleasedNovember 6, 2012 (2012-11-06)
Recordedc. 2011–2012[a]
GenreIndie rock[4]
Length31:39[b]
Label
ProducerAlex G
Alex G chronology
Rules
(2012) 		Trick
(2012) 		DSU
(2014)
Singles from Trick
  1. "Sarah"
    Released: March 18, 2022[7]

Trick is the fourth studio album by American musician Alex G. It was originally self-released through Giannascoli's Bandcamp page on November 6, 2012, and later reissued in a professionally mastered version via Lucky Number on April 6, 2015.

Along with Giannascoli's previous release, Rules (2012),[8] Trick quickly made him gain popularity between Philadelphian independent artists,[9][10] and has become one of his most successful and representative albums.[11][12] Contemporary critics generally appreciated it for its dark and emotionally-touching themes of intimacy,[13] nostalgia, and hope,[8][14] surrounded by an eccentric aesthetic.[13][15] The album was given further acclaim after its reissue in 2015,[16] following DSU's success, and then in 2022, thanks to some songs such as "Mary" and "Sarah", which became viral on TikTok and Spotify.[11][17]

On March 18, 2022, a reissue of Trick was released via Lucky Number as a bundle along with single "Sarah", containing the three bonus tracks added in the 2015 remastered edition of the album.[7]

Artwork

[edit]

The album's cover is a photo featuring a German Shepherd running down the central aisle of St. Donato Roman Catholic Church, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As Giannascoli explained, it was taken by his sister Rachel during their grandmother's[9] funeral:

It was me and my sister and my family and we were at a funeral. We’re all filing out of the church and this crazy dog ran in. It was a German Shepherd, and it ran down the aisle and was going up and down the pews and stuff. Then it was running out and my sister luckily pulled out her phone and got that picture as it was running out of the church. It was crazy.[18]

The owner of the dog is unknown. It was later referred to as stray.[1][18][19]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic71/100[20]
Review scores
SourceRating
DIY[8]
Sputnikmusic[11]
Q[21]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[22]
Uncut7/10[13]

Trick generally met a positive response because of its experimental and 'psychedelic' elements.[23] Colin Joyce of Beats Per Minute appreciated Alex G's mastered use of music to amplify emotional resonance rather than 'structural meaning', as well as his catchy and memorable melodies.[15] Thanks to the support of a split with Californian artist R.L. Kelly, in 2013 Giannascoli won The Deli's reader's poll for Best Emerging Artist.[24] He expressed his surprise to such notoriety:

I started the new album right after I put Trick out, so I didn’t feel any pressure, not knowing what a big deal Trick would be. I mean, I was just plodding along and then suddenly I started hearing people talking about Trick. So I guess it made me pay more attention to detail — all those parts on Trick where I fuck up, no one cared, but now I’m trying to perfect it.[10]

Trick became more popular than Rules, released earlier in 2012, for it stood as a better synthesis of Giannascoli's eccentric and creative personality.[2][9] French reviewers À Découvrir Absolument and EnvrAk lauded its ability to recall 90s rock music while adapting to other genres with multiple instruments.[14][25] As it received further attention on account of DSU's release (2014) and its own reissue (2015), critics started to express diversified opinions; Trick's DIY and experimental style eventually led it to be deemed also overlooked and 'smothered'—as well as Giannascoli's previous Bandcamp releases.[26] Q wrote "a little extra salt in his songwriting and [Giannascoli] could yet conjure up a classic".[21] At the same time, Tamlin Magee of The Line of Best Fit claimed that "while there's distortion and feedback throughout, catchy hooks and considered melody naturally soar above the production".[22] Sharon O'Connell in her review for Uncut described Trick as "less hazily fragmented and more tied to song structure [than DSU]".[13] For Uproxx, Ian Cohen ranked it as Alex G's sixth best album—God Save the Animals (2022) being the latest release—and wrote "Trick was downright indulgent at 37 minutes, 16 songs and some of which were clearly larks or, dare I say, filler".[16] KRUI-FM author Samuel Bowden called it "beautifully messy" and "a classic in Alex G’s catalog, if not an important record in indie music".[17]

Aggregator Metacritic assigned Trick a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 4 professional reviews, inticating "generally favorable reviews".[20] Trick was compared to the works of artists such as Built to Spill,[13][15] Coma Cinema,[15] Pinback,[15] J Mascis,[13] Steely Dan,[13] The Smashing Pumpkins,[25] Nirvana,[25] Starlight Mints,[25] Sparklehorse,[25] and The Brian Jonestown Massacre.[25] Giannascoli's vocals were debated as well, with The Line of Best Fit reviewer Tamlin Magee affirming their unfitness compared to the instrumental performance, and stating at the same time that "each of the songs is endearing enough for this not to matter, and crucially, his vocal presence is never overbearing".[22] On the other hand, Colin Joyce of Beats Per Minute described Giannascoli's one as a "developed songwriting voice";[15] KRUI-FM claimed it covers a crucial role in building the atmosphere: "Alex G’s voice is key".[17] Both critics[1][17][26] and fans gave particular attention to "Change", a song about the feeling of discomfort towards the passage of time—"something that everyone experiences", as Giannascoli explained.[2]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Alex Giannascoli

Trick – Standard edition
No.TitleLength
1."Memory"2:50
2."Forever"2:30
3."Animals"2:53
4."String"5:01
5."Advice"2:40
6."People"1:33
7."Whale"1:20
8."Trick"1:11
9."Kute"1:17
10."So"2:35
11."Mary"3:16
12."Change"2:07
13."Clouds"2:26
Total length:31:39[b]
Trick – French edition (bonus track)
No.TitleLength
1."Adam"1:46
Total length:33:25[b]
Trick – 2015 remastered edition (bonus tracks)
No.TitleLength
14."Adam"1:48
15."Sarah"2:56
16."16 Mirrors"1:27
Total length:37:44

Notes

  • For the 2015 remastered edition the standard tracks underwent minor edits, causing their lengths to vary (except for "Animals", "People", and "Clouds"). The remastered tracks have a total length of 31:33, about 6 seconds shorter than the original album. Bonus track "Adam", originally included as opener in the 2014 French release, was given a longer outro as well.

Sample credits

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[5]

Musicians

  • Alex G – vocals (tracks 1–7, 9–12, 14–16)
  • Jacob Colon – saxophone (2)
  • John Heywood – bass (2)
  • Emily Yacina – background vocals (5)

Technical

  • Jason Mitchell – mastering

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Trick
Chart (2024) Peak
position
UK Independent Album Breakers (OCC)[27] 5
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[27] 32
UK Record Store (OCC)[27] 4
US Indie Store Album Sales (Billboard)[28] 3

Release history

[edit]
Country Date Format(s) Edition Label Ref.
Various November 6, 2012
Standard
[5]
North America 2013[c] Cassette Haze Tapes [32]
France May 19, 2014
  • CD
  • digital download
  • streaming
 Bonus track Kütu Folk [33]
Various April 6, 2015 Remastered vinyl LP Standard Lucky Number [34]
  • Remastered CD
  • digital download
  • streaming
 Bonus tracks
Australia July 3, 2015[35] Remastered CD Spunk [36]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Giannascoli declared to have written album closer "Change" when he was 18, i.e. between February 2011 and February 2012.[1] According to Lucky Number, Trick was written and recorded "a few months" after Rules,[2] which was released in January 2012. Prior to DSU (2014), Giannascoli was used to take a rather short time for the making of albums.[3]
  2. ^ a b c Based on the approximate length of the original tracks.[5][6]
  3. ^ Even though the liner notes on the cassette do indicate November 6, 2012, as release date, Haze Tapes didn't dispatch any of Alex G's tapes until February 2013.[29] Giannascoli's Bandcamp page started advertising the cassette only between May[5] and September[30] 2013. By May 2013, copies of the album had already been sold and delivered.[31]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c McDermott, Patrick D. (May 1, 2014). "Who Is Alex G? Meet the Internet's Secret Best Songwriter". The Fader. Archived from the original on August 10, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Alex G – Trick / Rules". luckynumbermusic.com. January 27, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  3. ^ Le Gourrierec, Fabien (November 15, 2013). "Alex G - Chroniques et interviews des artistes indie-pop-rock". magicrpm.com (in French). Archived from the original on August 1, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  4. ^ DeLuca, Dan (December 7, 2014). "Alex G: One-man band a Philly indie success". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e "TRICK". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on May 1, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  6. ^ "Adam". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Lucky Number". store.luckynumbermusic.com. See source code. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Lavin, Kris. "Alex G - Trick / Rules review". DIY. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Moreland, Quinn (June 17, 2014). "Not Hollow: In Philadelphia with Alex G". Impose. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Feinberg, Hannah (April 8, 2014). "On Our Radar: Emerging Philly Musician Alex G." Philadelphia. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c "Alex G - Trick (album review )". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  12. ^ Helfand, Raphael (January 19, 2024). "Alex G announces RCA signing, shares tour dates". The Fader. Archived from the original on March 7, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g O'Connell, Sharon (March 23, 2015). "Alex G: Trick". Uncut. p. 73. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Newman, Gary (June 23, 2014). "Alex G - Trick". adecouvrirabsolument.com (in French). Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d e f Joyce, Colin (January 16, 2013). "Bandcamping #8: Alex G, Hella Better Dancer". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Cohen, Ian (September 23, 2022). "Every Alex G Album, Ranked". Uproxx. Archived from the original on January 21, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d Bowden, Samuel (November 2, 2022). "This Week in Music History: "Trick" by Alex G". KRUI-FM. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Smith, Jonathan (September 23, 2022). "Alex G on Fireworks, Faith, and Horror Movies". Interview. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  19. ^ Garland, Emma (April 10, 2015). "We Ate Pizza and Talked About Real Shit with Alex G". Vice. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Trick by (Sandy) Alex G Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Trick". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  22. ^ a b c Magee, Tamlin (April 3, 2015). "Alex G's Trick is like one of those rare, enjoyable hangovers". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  23. ^ Massari, Victor (November 5, 2013). "Alex G released a split w/ R.L. Kelly (stream it), playing NYC; Frankie Cosmos & more playing The Le Sigh zine launch party". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  24. ^ "Congrats to Alex G - The Deli Philly's Readers'/Fans' Best Emerging Artist of 2013!". The Deli. February 7, 2014. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  25. ^ a b c d e f Beck, Virginie (May 21, 2014). "Alex G en plein Trick". envrak.fr (in French). Archived from the original on August 24, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  26. ^ a b Cook, Will (June 20, 2014). "Alex G — DSU". The Quietus. Archived from the original on August 11, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  27. ^ a b c "TRICK – ALEX G". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  28. ^ "Alex G | Biography, Music & News". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 20, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  29. ^ "Shipping out our first wave of Alex G tapes..." Facebook. February 4, 2013. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  30. ^ "TRICK". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on September 1, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2024. go to HAZETAPES.COM to buy trick tapes
  31. ^ "hazetapes rules". Tumblr. May 31, 2013. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  32. ^ "Alex G – Trick (2013, Blue, Cassette)". Discogs. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  33. ^ "ALEX G - TRICK". kutufolkrecords.bigcartel.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  34. ^ "Lucky076 - Alex G: Trick". luckynumbermusic.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  35. ^ "Alex G's Trick out July 3". spunk.com.au. June 1, 2015. Archived from the original on March 17, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  36. ^ "Trick". spunk.com.au. Archived from the original on May 1, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
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