31 May 2019

Normans gives Gnoomes album MU! a 9/10 review


They say:

If you don't know you won't know, Gnoomes are a Russian psych band that play aggressive, mean, exultant music that's built for live performance. According to the band, this new album 'MU!' is an attempt at recreating their live sound and I think they've done a great job.

On opener 'Utro', the instruments melt into each other but you can also hear snatches of fuzzy synth bass, squawking electronic textures, and some nice Kev Shields-y guitar. It's the shoegaze element that I wasn't expecting from Gnoomes. The fact that they're on Rocket Recordings (a consistently excellent label) and how they've got a kind weird band name, I was settled in ready for some aggressive balls-to-the-wall psych rock a la Pigs x7 or Goat and yes there was this, but there are some really washy, heavenly moments when the song just opens wide and swallows you up. A moment like this happen on second track 'Sword In The Stone', where, about two and a half minutes in, I felt compelled to turn the volume up another nine notches for a thoroughly enjoyable sonic assault. There are so many brilliant songs on this record.

I love the baggy groove of 'Glasgow Coma State', 'Sine Waves Are Good For Your Health' is the best song title I've heard for a hot minute, and 'Ursa Major' and 'Feel Now' are like joyous sonic gut punches doing their best to encourage you to damage your already pretty defiled hearing. I could go on et on, but unfortunately (only in the sense that I have to stop talking about this record) I must start reviewing other albums. I will definitely be giving this record another spin as soon as I can. Now you know. 

Buy from here: Normans Records

And see the band live at the dates above.

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