Album Review: Girl With No Face | Allie-X

I know it's late for this but is it ever? Music has no expiration date. I spent much of my 2024 on 'Girl With No Face' but enjoyed it a bit too much to sit down and write about it. I'll never forget the night I discovered Allie-X - she was opening for Marina live in Athens back in 2019 and her performance absolutely blew me away. I've been watching her creative journey closely ever since. The past week I decided to revisit GWNF and it seems that life wouldn't let me leave this album without a review after all! Let's dissect the hell out of it.

‘Weird World’ is a powerful statement about walking in today’s society as a woman, feeling less of a human and more like a role, torn away from her inner truth. Oh the realizations that come when a woman reaches her higher self! Weird World sounds vintage but couldn’t be more contemporary and timeless. Let me tell you, this album will stay and slay in the long run. The homonymous ‘Girl With No Face’ is typical Allie-X, making alternative pop for the few in her signature sassy yet blasé style. A perfect little appetizer between the opener and the No.1 banger of 2024…‘Off With Her Teets’ is a jaw-dropper that begs to be discovered - a paradigm of how great pop music can exist away from controlled media, manufactured artists and fake success stories. The track speaks about body image, femininity, human-rights and their role in today’s world by blending satire, storytelling and qualities that make it utterly addictive. I mean, the escalating synths of the bridge and Allie screaming at the top of her lungs is all one can ask for. A huge Bravo to the artist for giving birth to this brilliant gem.

The creeping mystery of the following ‘John and Jonathan’ make for a niche little story to joke about or elaborate on. Abstract, dark and beautifully clunky, this is for the ones who live to pour meaning wherever they find the space to and I’m one of them. I’ll never skip the John and Johnathan moment of this album and I’ll interpret it differently every single time. ‘Galina’ lies in the middle of it all and wants you to dance like it’s the 80’s. It’s confident, melancholic and fragile at the same time. Galina somehow feels like a personal moment of the artist and reminded me of Cape God’s ‘Madame X’. Still, it’s the most radio-friendly piece up to this point before we land on the -least easy to digest- ‘Hardware Software’.

I sense that moments like these are strategically placed among the heavy hitters of the album to remind us that Allie-X is still our weird girl despite the grand pop persona exhibited in GWNF. In ‘Hardware Software’ we get a sensual performance of clever wordplay under a mix of fun instrumentation and distorted vocals. It’s complex but then it’s not, it’s serious but then it’s not, you love it but sometimes you don’t. Now, the lead single ‘Black Eye’ is just another highlight that shows off the artist’s talent to make things that sound too big to be indie. Violently honest yet poetic, ‘Black Eye’ can be interpreted in numerous ways but you cannot overlook thoughts of abused women, gender hierarchy and built-up injustice. The artist’s scream is piercing through concrete walls of shame and oppression to expose the hypocricy of the human kind. I almost feel guilty for being a man.

‘You Slept On Me’ is a subtle bop that you’ll sing when you seek vengeance, when you need to shake off your anxiety or when you need to pat yourself on the back when no one else does. Don’t ask why but that’s exactly what this track serves. Music is music and does not need to be explained. Now, it would be illegal for an album like this to end without a ballad of the Allie-X kind. ‘Saddest Smile’ is cruel as the human existence itself and pessimistic as f*ck. Lines like: ‘You’ll be loved, at least be liked’, ‘No one wants to see you soften’ and ‘Even if you change, you never change that much’ will possibly make you want to slit your wrists but please contemplate instead. If you ask me, the talent of offering such concentrated, analyzed darkness and existential suffering raises Allie-X to an almost philosophical level. ‘Saddest Smile’ will grow on you without your permission for it speaks to everyone’s inner nihilist. Little before the end, the -dark humor imbued- verses of ‘Staying Power’ will make your demons smile while the chorus will remind you that weakness is a matter of perspective. At the end of the day, your lowest points will look like opportunities that helped you toughen up. Allie-X can be your sensei considering her own health struggles she’s openly spoken about in the past. ‘Truly Dreams’ comes like a piece of pie, all sweet and delightful after the feast of an album we just devoured. POV: It’s the one track that could belong to any Allie-X album and will definitely deliver to everyone - fans or not. It’s a ray of sunlight after a gloomy day. What a day it was!

In a nutshell, Girl With No Face sounds grand, mature and complete. It fulfills its purpose and does not overstay its welcome - my favorite kind. Allie-X is once more exploring her curiosity fearlessly, touching subjects that need to be seriously discussed and does it under her unique veil of cynicism. It's a timeless body of work that you can always return to for it's a safe choice to satisfy your cravings for both fun and introspection. Also, if you grew up in the 80's, GWNF will sound familiar and if you didn't, it will give you a taste of the vibe that dominated the music back then. Anyhow, this makes one of the most solid pop albums I've recently come across and it will definitely age like fine wine. Cheers!

Listen to Allie-X here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb1cXeayhg_La-C_saU76DA