Reviews

Allie X “Girl With No Face” Album Review

Girl With No Face

Album • Allie X • 2024
11 songs • 43 minutes

Allie X’s third studio album, “Girl with No Face,” was published on February 23, 2024 by Twin Music and distributed by AWAL. Allie X wrote and produced nearly all of the album in the four years after her previous studio album, “Cape God,” released in 2020.

Entering “A Girl With No Face,” Allie X takes us on a journey into a world where the supernatural and chaos collide, a territory of her own. She bravely steps out from the shadows of commercial manipulation with this album, creating a genuine monument to development and self-discovery. With her unafraid investigation of sound and identity, Allie X creates an album that is more than just music; it’s a symphony of change and a tapestry of emotion.

However, “A Girl With No Face” really stands out for its flawless blending of the past and present. Allie X bravely forges her own route in the music industry while paying tribute to the icons of the 1980s. The outcome is a work of art that demonstrates the artist’s limitless imagination and vision while also seeming both familiar and novel.

Album Cover Art

Allie X &Quot;Girl With No Face&Quot; Album Review, Yours Truly, Reviews, May 19, 2024

Allie has her face caked in make-up and black and white paint, which makes her face appear split in two halves. Dressed in black, she attempts to hold together both sides of her painted face with her equally painted hands while staring blankly into the empty space like one who’s deeply troubled.

Tracks and Features

Though it’s sad, Allie believes she is living in a “Weird World,” as she begins the album on a realistic note. The spectacular production hits you with nostalgia and immediately catapults you back into the ballroom dance and disco times of the 80s. Allie’s unique vocals, coupled with her thought-provoking lyrics, sync with the instrumental arrangement to produce a beautiful record.

Still keeping pace with the retro vibe, Allie sings of her lover in “Galina.” In the song, she literally pleads with her baby to stay awake with her through the night because she could really use some loving on. Allie adores her lover even in her sleep, as she highlights how her lover’s lips involuntarily parts into a cute little smile. If that’s not love, we don’t know what is. However, besides Allie’s beautiful rendition and sweet, mellow vocals, another element that makes you stay is the melodious beat! And it’s crazy to think she actually produced nearly the entire project! She truly deserves all her flowers for the ingenuity.

“Hardware Software” explores her inner desires, which she sings over a rather fast-paced retro Pop beat. Funny and intriguing how she enjoys hanging with her parents, which would only go to show how closely-knit they are. Besides that, she would also love to build a computer that gives her pleasure. Again, the instrumental stands out. Allie really ‘spazzed’ on this one.

Slowing down the tempo in “Sadder Smile,” the singer gives us an idea of one thing she does not fail to do when she is sad, which is wearing a smile; a much sadder version. Allie also encourages her fans and listeners to follow suit, which if you imagine it, could appear a tad funny. But a sad smile trumps a long face any day, so she might actually have a point there.

“Truly Dreams” brings things to a close as Allie takes pride in being a dreamer. And because she believes dreams never die, she is convinced that she’ll live on till the end of time. Another thing she does in this track is strip herself of any identity she’s gone by, in line with the album’s title and its general theme. The track’s nostalgic disco-themed production should also be applauded for its modernized touch and melodies.

Album Theme

In “Girl with No Face,” self-defacement and self-debasement are major themes, as if erasing one’s identity is the only way to take charge of it. The album is fundamentally a moving meditation on the human condition, reflecting the turbulent process of personal development and discovery. Every song on the album is a new chapter in Allie X’s journey, a sonic landscape infused with inventiveness and nostalgia.

Production Credits

Allie X & Lecomte de Brégeot produced the album.

Tracklist

Track Number Title Duration
1 Weird World 3:59
2 Girl With No Face 4:24
3 Off With Her Tits 3:17
4 John and Jonathan 4:23
5 Galina 4:31
6 Hardware Software 2:29
7 Black Eye 4:33
8 You Slept On Me 4:12
9 Saddest Smile 3:08
10 Staying Power 4:13
11 Truly Dreams 4:34

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