A. G. Cook is a name you might not necessarily recognize, but he has been a producer and writer for David Guetta, HAIM, and has even been Charli XCX’s creative director for the past four years. Cook was even named by Dazed as “redefining style and youth culture in 2015 and beyond”. He has been behind the scenes of the underground experimental pop music scene for years but finally released his debut album 7G this month.
7G is a 49-track, seven-disc mammoth album, with each disc focusing on a different element of Cook’s production style from drums, guitar, and even a spoken word disc. What surprised me about this album is how honest it is. The album is stacked full of left-field ballads that work with Cook’s distorted, auto-tuned vocals, which fans haven’t heard much of before this album. Such as in the track ‘Silver’ we hear Cook doubt the future of his relationship: ‘There’s no way you’ll stay with a boy like me; my two front teeth and the same black jeans’. Tracks like these provide a different outlook from Cook and provide fans a glimpse into his life.
However, Cook’s typical insane production can of course also be heard on this album. The impeccable track ‘Illuminated Biker Gang’ showcases Cook’s skills, seamlessly adding production elements that are so unexpected, but it still works no matter what crazy sounds he adds into the mix. The best thing about this album is that you never know where he is going to take you next.
Overall, 7G is a masterclass in the left-field experimental pop. A.G. Cook seamlessly veers through genres like country and metal, all while putting them through his own lens.
