Album cover via Spotify
Gurriers follow up their debut album with an electrifying grunge record that critiques politics and modern life. Nobody’s Coming To Save You uses its 10 tracks to discuss issues we see within our governments and aspects of daily life. The band’s pointed commentary is soundtracked by their signature distorted guitars and heavy melodies creating this reflective, yet, magnetic experience.
The post-punk Dublin band open their new album with a high energy title track, establishing the tone and topic of the album from the start. When they released this as a single ahead of the album, I couldn’t wait for what was to follow. The classic 90’s grunge style guitars mixed with heavy effects are something I love, and there is no shortage of them on this record.
“Party Lines” comes next, beginning with a clip from political scientist Michael Parenti’s 1986 speech where he talks about the exploitation of third world countries. Him saying, The third world is not poor, You don't go to poor countries to make money starts us off, with full guitars and drums dropping in to match the weight of the statement. Singer Dan Hoff joins with angry vocals leading the energy of the track. A condemnation of political officials and their ties to current wars, specifically the war in Sudan, Hoff’s lyrics mixed with the band’s instrumentals inherently spark fury in the listener through this track. We wash this blood off of our hands, If it moves kill it Hoff screams. The dynamic here is an odd one, as you can’t help but dance because of the drums and bassline, but that anger is very much present, the commentary and emotion of the lyrics never failing to cut through.
Criticizing modern life and its apparent lack of individuality, “Shades” doesn’t hold back when calling out society’s obsession with copying one another. Lyrics like, Monochrome and beige, Uniform for the modern age help us visualize this assimilation taking place in our lives as people start to lose their color and spark, and instead conform to the bland norms of society.
One of my personal favorites from the record, and the last single released prior to it, “Pins” gives us a new side of the band. Starting out calmly– I use this term relative to the band as, in the best way possible, nothing about them is ever truly calm, we build with this tension between the lyrics and the instruments. The song’s vulnerability pairs perfectly with the repeating guitars and melodies, meditating on the experience of being in love while not feeling that same appreciation for oneself. There is also a hint of regret mixed into this, further evoking this heartwrenching emotion as you inevitably dance to the track.
“Today is not Enough”: A heavy tremolo welcomes us into this one, the instruments growing and growing until they are all working together, crashing and in conversation with one another. I got to see them play this one live earlier this year in March. There is no explaining the energy that was in that room during this one except for saying that it was captivating and intoxicating. Not a single person stood still as we all fed off of one another, jumping and moving as one. Hearing this one come up in the record immediately brought me back to that little venue in D.C., and that same feeling of immeasurable energy returned with the memory.
Gritty strings and a fast pace take over with “Waiting For Fisher”, which is admittedly a perfect headbanging track. I can already imagine the mosh pits happening to this one, and I can’t wait. The band worked with director Thomas James on the video for this one, as well as all other music videos for the LP. He managed to capture the energy and intensity of this one through an interesting mix of scenes from a comedy set that suddenly cut to unsettling visuals. The juxtaposition between the two feeds into the chaotic nature of the track perfectly.
“I Wish I Was” presents an unfamiliar sound to the album; a softer, slower, more exposed side to Gurriers. Straight away on first listen this became a new favorite of mine by the band. The way the song morphs itself and expands seems to come alive as a physical feeling, like something tangible. The environment this one creates feels like being swept into a wave you can’t climb out of. The mix on this track is beautifully done, adding layers upon layers to the sound to make this full, captivating world we get to live in through the music.
Outside of music, the band is very vocal about contemporary political issues, so it is no surprise that they would use this second album to spotlight this further. What shocked me more was the amount of vulnerability and self-reflection we got in this one. While having a short run time of only 38 minutes, Gurriers manage to leave an undeniable impact on listeners through their lyrics and sounds that encourage contemplation, rage, and change.