Review: Alice Glass takes back her voice in solo album
'œPREY//IV," Alice Glass (Eating Glass Records)
Alice Glass is the blueprint for hyperpop - the new music genre loved by Gen Z and trending on TikTok. In her long-awaited solo full-length album, 'œPREY//IV,'ť the queen of electro-punk is back and asking, 'œWhere would you be without me?"
She's in full control, using her raw voice and lyrics as she details the end of a toxic relationship and getting to a place where the 'œSorrow Ends.'ť
Glass parted ways with indie electronic pop group Crystal Castles in 2014 and later publicly addressed abuse at the hands of a former bandmate. Her album, out Wednesday, makes references to darker times in Crystal Castles in the lyrics and the album title.
In her first song on the album symbolically named 'œPrey'ť she asks the listener: 'œDo you believe me? Does it matter?'ť
Through the vulnerability of her lyricism, Glass pulls back the curtain on her pain and stands in her power. On 'œPrey//IV,'ť the Canadian musician uses her voice as an instrument to create a complex soundscape over dark electro-pop beats.
In her stirring song 'œFair Game,'ť Glass flips the cutting criticism and manipulative words of the abuser back onto them. 'œI know you don't know this but you're a cliche,'ť she sings. 'œYou screw up everything.'ť
The song is a defining moment for Glass. It's her biting back at all those who have questioned her rise since leaving Crystal Castles.
At times, Glass pairs electronic dance beats with her haunting writing like in 'œBaby Teeth'ť and 'œThe Hunted.'ť She uses her vocals to move from anger and hurt on 'œThe Hunted'ť as she warps into a punk scream.
Glass's 'œI Trusted You'ť was a fan favorite ahead of her album release. The song, which premiered in 2018, relies on low frequency infused beats that build, creating a fitting space for the timbre of her voice. The exhaustion in her voice underscores the meaning behind her album.
Her final song, 'œSorrow Ends,'ť is an instrumental composition with no words as if to say she has said everything she has needed to say and left it all on the album.
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