Put your black gloves on, pull out your vintage keyboard, and fire up your LinnDrum drum machine for Allie X’s new album, Girl With No Face. Allie X's return is a complete 180 degree shift in her persona in comparison to her previous album, 2020's, Cape God. Far from the cold, damp woods of New England on Cape God, Allie X brings out her 80s emo punk style with Girl With No Face. Allie X is no stranger to the synth-pop genre, having 80’s and 90’s-influenced tracks in her previous work Collxtion I and Super Sunset, but Girl With No Face comes full force in this style, allowing her to fully shine in this self-produced album.
Allie X, who was raised in Oakville, Ontario, has had a cult following fan base since she released her first body of work back in 2015. She has always been known to be unique and diverse and leans into more off-trend genres, which allows her to stand out as a musician amongst today’s female pop artists. Allie X has always been committed to her creative works, sticking to their themes and never veering off course.
Kicking off the beginning of the era back in October 2023, Allie X marked her return with the lead single “Black Eye.” A heavily inspired 80’s synth-pop track that has an element of darkness, which was released just in time for Halloween. A month later, she released the 2nd single sharing the same name as the album, Girl With No Face. Fans who have been waiting a long time for Allie X’s return to the music scene were excited to see a style that fits her vocals, and that proved well with her third single, “Off With Her Tits,” which became one of her fastest-growing songs in popularity.
Opening the album with the track “Weird World”, Allie X introduces us to the topic of being different, how sometimes things don’t seem to fit into place, and having the self-awareness that it is okay to be unique. “Black Eye” and “Girl With No Face” almost flow with “Weird World” in a story-telling way. It reiterates that being different will make life seem as though it continuously punches you in the face, but you need to find strength and confidence in who you are to keep going! Another strong notable track on the album is that of “Galina,” which is told from a narrative standpoint of looking for connections or relationships and the complexities of loss. “Staying Power” dives into the topics of personal identity struggles, while empowering the thought of being bold at facing misfortune. Finally “Saddest Smile”, a track about remaining thick-skinned and tough while dealing with your inner demons, hits you.
Allie X came full force with Girl With No Face. Showing her true artistry and diversity, and proving that the hundreds of hours poured into this project paid off, this easily became one of her best albums yet, in my opinion. “Weird World” stood out the most to me, as I connect with the theme of being different in a world that sometimes seems too mono and bland. If you haven’t had the opportunity to listen to the 11 tracks yet that make up the body of Girl With No Face, I strongly suggest adding this album to your playlist and putting it on repeat, as this is one of the more relatable, thought-provoking albums that has been released in a long time.
You can stream Girl With No Face by Allie X below:
