ALBUM REVIEW: Daughter of Swords’ Alex Sauser-Monnig Uncovers New Sounds on ‘Alex’

Even as she’s been genre shapeshifting over the years, the core qualities of Alex Sauser-Monnig’s artistry have not just remained intact, but strengthened with each outing. Recording as a member of bands Mountain Man and The A’s (both with Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso), and her solo moniker Daughter of Swords, Sauser-Monnig has proven herself an intrepid sonic explorer with a soft-spun voice she uses elastically, whether it’s wrapped in spare folksy instrumentals or buoyant pop melodies. On Alex, the latest Daughter of Swords release, she continues to uncover new corners of sound, patterning together an irresistible blend of breezy, up-tempo bops and delicate reflections on healing in a toxic world.

Even in its discoveries of many fresh hells, Alex is unapologetically joyous, perhaps a kind thesis statement on protecting one’s peace. The one-two punch of openers “Alone Together” and “Talk to You” find someone on the cusp of new love, with all the potential that comes with strong attraction and magnetic chemistry. The former, particularly in its explosive chorus, plays like an infectious dare — just try not to move to it. “I feel like myself again,” Sauser-Monnig sings in it. “Do you feel brand new?” A few listens of this track and listeners surely will.

The buzz of these moments lingers even as Sauser-Monnig reins things in on tunes like “Willow” and “Song.” Both feel like an escape from the noise of life, one with the added warmth of horns and a gentle brush of piano, and the other with just an acoustic guitar, a lullaby bidding goodbye to a loved one. Each of these ensembles of sound suits Sauser-Monnig’s deft command of her voice, and she tries them on with ease. Like she sings on the sun-speckled, roving “Vacation,” “I’ll try it out and we’ll see just how I fare/I like it, I won’t deny it, I enjoy it, I’m delighted.”

Alex is a lesson in never boxing yourself in, the culmination of Sauser-Monnig’s many artistic identities rolled into one vibrant package. Like its creator, it’s an album that contains multitudes, all of them radiating the highest vibrations hoping for connection in an ever more disconnected universe.

Daughter of Swords’ Alex is due out April 11, 2025 via Psychic Hotline.