Alex is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Alex Sauser-Monnig, under the stage name Daughter of Swords.[1] It was released on April 11, 2025, by Psychic Hotline in LP, CD and digital formats, and consists of three singles, "Alone Together", "Talk to You", and "Strange".[2][3]
Noted as an upbeat "synth-forward" indie pop album, Alex was co-produced with Sylvan Esso members Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath, and focuses on the perspectives of Sauser-Monnig, involving topics such as art and gender.[1][4] Recorded at Sylvan Esso's "Betty's" studio in Chapel Hill, North Carolina,[5][6] the album consists of twelve songs between two and four minutes each with a total runtime of thirty-six minutes, and features contributions from Jenn Wasner, TJ Maiani, and Caleb Wright.[7]
"Alone Together", released on October 9, 2024, as a single and included in Alex, was the first musical work released by Sauser-Monnig since their 2019 debut album, Dawnbringer.[8][9] They described it as "a song about reckoning with the need to connect when the rest of your life is locked in and satisfying."[8] The album's lead single, "Talk to You", described as "a bouncy, percussive synth pop track", was released on February 5, 2025, featuring a music video directed by Amelia Meath.[2][7][5] It was preceded by "Strange", a single released on March 13, 2025.[3]
Pitchfork, rating the album 7.0 out of ten, remarked, "Musically, the album recalls a decade-old strain of perky, chart-aspiring indie pop, the purview of bands like MisterWives or Oh Wonder".[1]Paste assigned it a rating of 7.6 out of ten and described it as "observational, and a bit of a self-portrait," and "distinctly modern, except on songs where it instead reads as retro."[10]No Depression noted it as an "irresistible blend of breezy, up-tempo bops and delicate reflections on healing in a toxic world."[11]Spin stated, "Whatever the answer, Alex remains a refreshing album for our current moment, when we're all seeking connections — with others, our world, and even ourselves — in an increasingly disconnected world."[12]
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