by Kyle Roczniak
Her fourth album Girl With No Face, Allie X takes an explorative journey into her own identity in the time where her work is entirely independent and full creative control is hers. The album is nothing short of orthogonal to the expectations of autotune-infused synth pop and each track is a stark contradiction to its peers, perhaps painting X as an artist who can defy and exceed multiple genre characteristics and break down their boundaries completely. Despite being analog-led, the project feels nothing but contemporary in terms of subject matter and leans into the deep topical grit of Allie X’s personal life. “This record documents an intense struggle for power and control – creatively, professionally, mentally and physically,” X explains. “At times, it felt like I was never going to make it out to the other side, that the process itself was going to kill me.”
Opening track Weird World represents the hybrid of depth and rawness X was aiming towards with this record. Alternating lines in German and English are layered atop a soundscape of a metallic world and the drums are unmistakably reminiscent of ‘80s new wave – industrial and gritty, with nods to The Human League or New Order perhaps.
Girl With No Face is a stark contrast from 2020’s Cape God, feeling faster, more sharp, and evermore threatening. A favourite of mine, and recent single Off With Her Tits is a satirical, witty look at some of X’s deeper thoughts – “Go take the piss/ I’m flat with a wit/ Not soft, full of shit/ Now off with her tits”. From the deadpan delivery here, tracks such as Galina showcase X’s impressive range and her developed craft in devloping interesting melody lines that sit comfortably within the world of synths and drum machines with booming basses.
Girl With No Face is a vampiric album for the late night drives, the retro gamer, the gay bars. This is a project that amplifies Allie X’s talent and turns the world created by Cape God into her own dystopian universe.
Preorder/pre-save Girl With No Face:
Bacchanalia Magazine 
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