Bandcamp is home to several artists, with some of them prolific to the point where they release new material daily. As one would imagine, the higher their output, the more difficult it becomes to keep up a respectable level of quality, and yes, I've heard my fair share of shit on the site. However, there is a young man, Alex Giannascoli, also known as Alex G, who has, over the last couple of years, released a good few albums, EPs, and singles under his name, as well as collaborative releases with other likeminded bands and artists. He produces lo-fi "bummer pop", an endearing term given to those who chase a DIY, homemade aesthetic to their slacker-focused, romanticized pop-rock music, usually with a twee sheen to it. I'm not particularly privy to the style, but there's undeniably something special about Alex G that has spawned him a dedicated cult following. His charmingly quaint vocals, ramshackle guitar, and solid drum work aside, what has really sparked the imagination of his fans is his pure, unadulterated knack for making really fucking good pop songs, and maintaining a high level of personality and quality to every single one of his releases. It's his natural talent with melodies, harmonies, hooks and verses that made so many sit up and pay attention which brought him the relatively low-key success he's had until now, but with his true, label-affiliated debut album, DSU, he's aiming to break out of the Bandcamp scene and make an encompassing statement that will hopefully win him a few new fans and some critical accolades, all while showing newcomers what Alex G is all about.

DSU doesn't screw with the formula that made his previous releases work - to the contrary, actually.
Each of his prior releases built upon the one before it with stronger songwriting and catchier melodies, so DSU tries to illustrate this growth and the appeal of his DIY style, but with a bigger budget, professional mixing, and higher stakes. Alex G fully takes advantage of this opportunity by putting a lot of audible effort into both making the songs appealing to longtime fans, and accessible, much like his best work is, to the masses. Guitars peek from beyond their lo-fi roots, his vulnerable, coy singing and lyrics float atop dreamy, resonant instrumentation, and the additional drums give the songs a new dimension that makes them feel truly finished, rather than aimless bedroom experiments. The Alex G quirkiness is also on full display; the very first song "After Ur Gone", begins with twisted, reversed guitar strumming, almost as though you're listening to a tampered file, before suddenly blossoming into a psych-pop groove featuring a yearning electric guitar. This ain't your sissy brother's Bandcamp music, and DSU isn't afraid to play with expectations and throw caution to the wind.

The album so happens to be packed with some of Alex's most memorable compositions to date. "Harvey", one of the first tracks previewed from DSU and ostensibly an ode to an imaginary friend, begins with "success for my buddies/success for my friends/success is the only thing I understand." Set to a drum stomp, vaguely eastern-influenced guitar riffs, and a melancholic piano playing in the background, many components of the song bubble up into the foreground once the rest of the ruckus slowly fades away. The same trick happens with soft cooing that, by the end, becomes the central focus. The song may very well be a live representation of letting go of "Harvey", and it's these subtle touches underscoring the more immediately catchy, casually enjoyable songs that expose the breadth of meaning and insight Alex imbues in his work. Their lovingly handcrafted nature is hard to fault, and like with his previous releases, DSU pulls it off impressively.

Songs like "Promise", with its funky, kinetic, bassy groove, and "Axesteel", with its straightforward heavy psych/drone elements are certainly exciting, well-received depatures from Alex's previously established style, but it's the final song of DSU, "Boy", that shows such laconic promise. "Boy" features some of the clearest vocals of Alex's entire discography, plus a simple premise for its catchy hook, lyrics, and instrumentation; in spite of all that, though, it's the meaning of its track listing, in addition to its content, that makes it so exciting. As direct as it is, it's a fantastic pop song on it own terms, and, being the last of the 13 tracks here, heavily implies a change in direction for Alex G. If DSU doesn't get the attention it deserves, I have a feeling Alex's new direction, with its clearer vocals and accessible, yet still unbelievably strong, songwriting suggests that a bright, more monetarily rewarding future full of mainstream recognition may be just ahead.

It would be a crime to let Alex G continue to fall under the radar. The fact that this album has been covered by prominent online and offline music publications is a great sign, for if any Bandcamp artist deserves it, it's definitely Alex. New fans introduced to Alex through DSU have a treasure trove of material to dive into afterwards, but as good as his other stuff is, DSU stands tall as his best release thus far. It is a self-contained experience, not reliant on knowing Alex G, but simultaneously rewarding those who do. His songwriting (and audio quality) has never been better, and it demonstrates that there are some DIY artists out there that can really, REALLY shine once you give them a chance to. I fucking hope Alex G keeps getting those chances, because he's all the proof you need that quality and quantity are not mutually exclusive concepts.