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GAVIAL “Thanks, I Hate It”
GAVIAL “Thanks, I Hate It”
By Lord Randall
“Control” eases us into GAVIAL’s second, “Thanks, I Hate It”, a loping, syncopated groove helmed by bassist Paul Kollascheck and Conrad Brod [drums] underpinning hazed out/phased out guitars and vocalist Benjamin Butter’s higher register timbre. Though it works more as an introduction to what’s coming,”‘Control” does exactly what an opening track should by building anticipation, in this case for “Koru Mindset”. Unexpectedly energetic given the foursome’s comfort zone of mid-tempo explorations, “Koru Mindset” brushes elbows with SHUDDER TO THINK, or possibly TAME IMPALA in a live setting, a bit of abrasion ala THE MARS VOLTA slashing through at times.
Advance press releases for this record mentioned it being driven by a lower end, and rhythm-based, and they weren’t wrong, babies, “Pretender” slow sizzling like BURNING TREE, or even THE CULT as they approached the “Electric” era might not be that far off in comparison. Blues phrases leap from Butter and fellow guitarist Paul-Willy Stoyan’s fingers with an ease that could be called “effortless” were the level of care put into their arrangement and places not too obvious. That the band as a whole seems caught in a jam they neither want nor need to break free of speaks to the comfort of playing with musical comrades instead of “fellow musicians”.
“Leviathan” rises from the depths, slow yet assured, the opening lyric “I have reached out for your wisdom to guide me through the days.” caresses KULA SHAKER as percussive psychedelia swirls around and through the song’s seven-plus minutes, and with three of the six originals comprising the sophomore album exceeding that mark, that not once do we find ourselves distracted from what’s being slipped into our ears and minds is a testament to what GAVIAL is capable of in the studio.
I have a feeling much of the quartet’s material is expanded even further when played live, and it has been a long time since I’ve heard a sophomore album move so far forward from what was already a solid beginning. That far, far fewer would-be appreciative ears will likely hear “Thanks, I Hate It” than should is the true crime. The “wicked game”, one might say.
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