Two years almost to the day that Gurriers self-released their debut album Come and See, they return with their second, Nobody’s Coming To Save You, this time on their now label home Play It Again Sam. The Irish band have not stood still in the intervening years. Far from it, the growing crowds and anticipation for new music is a testament to the ethos of the quintet. A first listen through to Nobody’s Coming To Save You highlighted a duality in its themes, shifting between fury and frustration, and intensely personal and introspective. The striking juxtaposition of the two is the backbone of this album, confirmed by lead singer Dan Hoff: “everything is political”.
Opener ‘Nobody’s Coming To Save You’ is heavy and dense, the bassline adding both tension and depth from the outset which draws all into its orbit with the power of instrumentation, the vocal delivery and accompanying lyrics. It’s a rallying cry to wake up and pay attention to the action of those who take advantage of their wealth and position.
‘Party Lines’ opens with a spoken quote by Michael Parenti, an American political scientist, Marxist historian and cultural critic: “The third world is not poor. You don’t go to poor countries to make money.” It stopped this reviewer in her tracks. How can so much be said with so few words? Gurriers take this to fuel the track, its funk punk a bundle of exhilarating energy. ‘Shades’ shifts the vibe slightly with its scuzzy vocals and guitars, quivering with static. The claustrophobia grows with the off-kilter energy and industrial soundscape. Has an abrupt ending even been so dramatic?
‘Pins’ introduces the second aspect of Nobody’s Coming To Save You sharing a self-deprecating inward looking view of love. Gentler in its approach the emotional tug is palpable and the lyrics say everything: “I think all that you are, is who I should be.” The melancholy of regret is impossible to ignore: “All those things I wish I’d done”.
The anxiety on ‘Today Is Not Enough’ is gut wrenching. The spoken word expresses such apprehension but the sonic landscape dominates here, the drama and uneasiness conveyed in the guitar and underlying drumbeat. The longest track on the album, ‘Drones’ is a highlight. With its intro of charged static, the listener is uncertain as to which direction it’s going to travel. The imagery created by this along with the title suggests the weaponisation of this technology, the association impossible to ignore. ‘Drones’ is complex as well as epic in scale. The trip-hop echoes of Massive Attack entirely appropriate bearing in mind the subject matter. The skittish percussion leads into the mayhem. An exhilarating track, a pinnacle for Gurriers, demonstrating every aspect of what they are at this point in one song.
In contrast ‘Nothing Happens Twice’ bounces into life, bombastic and pulsating it grabs by the throat and does not let go until the final note. Not for the first time the lyrics make one think:
“I want an education but I fucked it for myself
All those books I bought, hills of dust on the shelf
Nothing is a blessing, nothing is a curse
Before there was anything, there was nothing first.”
The deadpan vocal delivery on ‘Waiting for Fisher’ is in stark contrast to the riot of instrumentation. However the banality of the modern day job is the subject matter, thus how else could the vocal be presented, it is completely apt. Ferocious in its sonics it will provide a lightning rod to the moshpit. Gurriers have shared that they approached creating the flow of this album like a film. To hear ‘I Wish I Was’ immediately after the fury of the previous track only increases its emotional impact. The contrast is striking with the solo guitar setting the scene. The build up is calm before the shimmering percussion kicks in. ‘I Wish I Was’ demonstrates that Gurriers have many facets. The listener wonders, is this a statement or a question? The soaring music before the shoegaze fade out is simply breathtaking. This introspection continues into the final track ‘Crybaby’. Gone is the bombastic fury replaced by a breathtaking vocal within a deliciously evocative musical frame: “but I lied to myself, I lied to myself”.
Nobody’s Coming To Save You was produced by Mark Bowen (Idles, alongside Loren Humphrey) who brought his enthusiasm as well as his generosity of spirit and creativity. It’s a body of work that is obviously a labour of love. It flows beautifully, addressing the collective with its ferocity as well as the individual with its, at times, self-deprecating intensity. Gurriers we salute you. Now bring on the gigs.
For more information on Gurriers please check their facebook, instagram and tiktok.
Review: 9 out of 10