Gans is good for the soul….
…such a fitting opening to this debut album release from Birmingham duo GANS.
These genre-bending artists have taken elements of everything from indie and post-punk to techno when crafting this album. Pre-released singles I THINK I LIKE YOU and IT’s JUST LIFE gave us a glimpse of what to expect – heavy beats and at times, even heavier lyrics – but even these insights don’t do justice to the versatility and variety on offer on GOOD FOR THE SOUL.
Toppling the sound on its head from one minute to the next it moves from heavily industrialised beats to smooth softer sounds, at times in the blink of an eye. And while their angry punk energy still pulsates through the core of their work (OH GEORGE, THE KINGS HEAD), the more mellow tracks like NIGHTWALKING show that their music is more multifaceted that it may initially seem.
I know I’m always harping on about picking a genre and sticking with it (at least for an album anyway) but GANS don’t fit a genre. I sometimes wonder if this is the flexibility of being a duo – the roles don’t need to be as strictly defined and there less moving parts to shift to create a big change. Regardless of the reason, you can’t put GANS or this album into any kind of box and it’s why their style-switching works.
THE KING’S HEAD is one of my favourite album tracks. I think it perfectly encapsulates what GANS are about. It’s got the interplay between being just a simple track about going the pub with an undertone that it might be about something bigger – social cohesion, the need for connection – I’m not sure. It’s got that deep level of feeling in the lyric delivery too and an overarching touch of manic-ness about it which is almost a trademark for a GANS track at this point. At times it feels like pure indie rock and then it breaks into a techno dance instrumental. If you want to know if you’ll love this album, this is the track to start with.
I absolutely loved the mellow, Sunday sessions feeling of EVERYTHING IN EXTREME. It caught me off guard in the best way — so soft and dreamy, like a breath of fresh air in the middle of the chaos. It felt really different from so much of their other work, and that contrast made it hit even harder. I especially loved that it was popped splat bang in the middle of the record. It doesn’t mark an ending or shift the mood of what comes next — it just exists, unapologetically, changing the pace and letting everything breathe for a moment.
The almost hypnotic IN TIME also deserves a mention. It’s another wonderfully well-crafted track in this collection that quickly draws you in. There’s something quietly magnetic about it, like it’s pulling you into its rhythm without you even noticing.
It’s hard not to be full of praise for GANS original, debut release. Good for the soul, this record definitely is!
Listen to GOOD FOR THE SOUL here.