Alice Glass

Alice Glass needs a hug. Just look at this depressing list of song titles:

"I TRUSTED YOU"

"Without Love"

"LOVE IS VIOLENCE"

"STILLBIRTH"

"NIGHTMARES"

"PINNED BENEATH LIMBS"

and it goes on like that for two full albums and a handful of EPs and singles. Alice Glass has been through some shit - and we are all going to have to hear about it while she works though it. There's something gruesomely beautiful about that, but it does not make for a pleasant listening experience. It was never bad, but I kinda just wanted to get it over with. While I can be a fan of extreme music, Alice had me missing sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows. Especially when compared to her frenemy, Alice Gas. Great production though, and at least it's got a theme/character. This might not be for me, but it's perfect for my imaginary Canadian goth girlfriend. 

Unfortunately, she does have plenty to legit complain about. This whole musical project exists because her previous band, Crystal Castles (the band, not the video game), was apparently a horrific, abusive relationship. We'll take Alice at her word here. And BRAVO for ending the band right then and there. Again, sympathies for sure, but now we are all going get awkward about it. Great suffering can surely produce great art, but nobody wants to rewatch Schindler's List. And most of Alice Glass is unlikely to find a permanent home in my music library, though I am certainly looking forward to making it to "C" and Crystal Castles. But wait a minute - is that even cool? I mean, I'll be skipping Chris Brown. Apparently she's not getting any royalties, so maybe fuck that band. For the record, I didn't even know there was a cute, young punk girl--being exploited--in Crystal Castles because they are basically hiding on their only portrait-album cover.  

She releases a song ("Stillbirth") as a fundraiser for RAINN first, but her first commercial song as a solo artist is "Without Love." It's probably a bit of a mixed blessing that I found her first to be her best. It's a good song with Lead Single energy. It gets remixed a bunch, but doesn't make the later album. She did announce a tour opening for Marilyn Manson, but if you are wondering how those two got along, it was cancelled at the last minute so she could do her own solo tour. 

Just a passing familiarity with her story makes it clear why "CEASE AND DESIST" and "I Trusted You" are her next singles in 2018, four years after leaving the relatively successful Crystal Castles but right after releasing her explanatory statement. I recall these songs vaguely for their dark brooding. Both show up later on her 2022 album. Since then there have only been some non-album releases. It's still all depressing though: what do you want to listen to, "Love is Violence" or "Remains"? "Everybody Else" from 2022 was good though; "Without Love"-good, so maybe there's an upward trajectory here. At this point (Summer 2025) it's been a full year since we've heard a peep.   

We haven't had a full album since 2022, but she's still out there - and I wish her well. 

Photo by Cara Robbins; styling by Lisa Madonna.