Leftfield music has seen a bit of a turn around in fortunes over the recent years with the current strain of what some people call “math rock” even denting the charts. Battles and Foals spring to mind and now we can add another name to that list…Gallops.
It would be unfair to lump Gallops in with these other bands though as their music is a lot more idiosyncratic. Yes, there are the complicated time signature changes but there is also the innate melody that comes from a rave background. Mix this in with some heavy rock and you have the makings of an enticing stew.
‘Yours Sincerely, Dr Hardcore’ is the debut album offering from Gallops and serves as a good introduction to the band. Setting their stall out with the bleepy intro of ‘Astaroth’, it isn’t long before the powerhouse drumming of Dave Morait and the thrashing guitars of Brad Whyte take this out of the realm of the bedroom. Following track Jeff Leopard expands on this with its Eastern promise of allure.
‘Hongliday’ takes the risky chance of outstaying its welcome as it sinks into sub thrash for the final two minutes but in hindsight this serves to set up the masterclass of tracks that follow. This is where we start to understand the role that Mark Huckridge and Paul Maurice play in the band. Having started out making tunes on a laptop, they now have a wider arena in sights as the excellent ‘Lasers’ and ‘Rhythm is a Misery’ shows.
It is all a bit too defined and calculated at times but then that is the trouble with this sort of music, there is little room for genuinely cutting loose which is a shame because you want Gallops to reach out into the stratosphere. This will come with experience though and live shows already attest to their ability to connect with the outer regions of space.
The post ambient ‘G is for Jaile’ slows the pace slightly before ‘Window FX’ comes at you like some long lost psychotic King Crimson song. It is the epic ‘Crutches’ which ties the disparate sounds of the album together although strangely it is also the most conservative of the songs on this album. It is an excellent achievement and we can only hope that Gallops continue in this vein.
So all in all, a very good album which shows a lot of promise. There are moments that lose it but for the majority you will find yourself lost in their world. Parts of it are phenomenal and show a band willing to experiment with the strictures of music which is a blessed relief in the world of music at the moment. The time may very well belong to Gallops.
Released December 10th through Blood & Biscuits.
Posted by Martyn Coppack.
