Uncomfortable. Demanding. Laborious. Listening to Gilla Band’s recent album, Most Normalforced us to dip into our reserves.
Posted yesterday at 6:30 p.m.
However, it is a “normal” listening effort for those who follow the undulations of this Irish group, adept at raw, brutal, loopy and industrial rock, and which bore the name of Girl Band until 2021 – happy change of name, for a group composed only of… male musicians.
Most Normal opens over the silencing of a dying distorted guitar, followed by metallic slaps, heavy drums and the shrill – and ominous – voice of the singer, Dara Kiely, who rails against the frustrations of modern life – rapid consumption of worthless products, increased financial pressure on individuals, social image of disproportionate importance — which affect mental health… and the world.
Conclusion of this booklet of 12 pieces on the words ” Hanging up on the floor again / Ignore the five second rule / Twins who just don’t use / I got a problem with the psycho muscle “, while a guitar tries to agree, the chords heard being hardly pleasant – except those of the drums, at the perfect tempo.
Between the rooms The Gum and post-ryan, Gilla Band offers an incursion into a black, industrial and buzzing universe. For those who are already familiar with the group’s offers — Holding Hands with Jamiereleased in 2015, and the excellent The Talkies, in 2019 —, this third attempt will hardly be surprising: the sound experiments carried out in large part by bassist Daniel Fox suggest a melodic deconstruction. The musicians reduced the layers of instruments heard, looped the chords and added electric hums (noise), while at the microphone, Kiely launches his flow both haunting and angry (yes, it’s possible). The result is an album with a catchy and even dancing rhythm… if you persevere beyond the first listen.
rock noise
Most Normal
Gilla Band
ROUGH TRADE RECORDS