What is it about our aching nostalgia for the eighties that finds us being drawn back to this magical decade? Perhaps video did not actually kill the radio star until the end of this era?
For those of you not in the know, Gunship is a synthwave band with a commitment to writing catchy songs that attempts to jar the memories of those who grew up during that golden decade (and offers a convincing glimpse to those too young to know the difference), and their third, and most developed album Unicorn (self-released) sees them utilizing a wealth of guests to help out, even if the electro-trio don’t always highlight their contributors, maintaining their focus on writing hooky songs, which works just as well!.
Dave Lombardo (Mr. Bungle, Empire State Bastard, adds condiment and pep amongst the programmed drums to the opening track “Monster In Paradise”, with Wargasm’s Milkie Way taking up the neon spotlight role, while Tim Cappello of Lost Boys fame gets his solo, while. Lights joins in for “Empress of the Damned”, contemporary pop music draped in eighties sounds.
Sequels were big in the eighties so it only makes sense they would write a sequel to the song “Tech Noir” , though it is simply titled “Tech Noir 2” – a missed opportunity for calling the song “Tech Noir 2 Electric Boogaloo” or “Tech Noir 2 – Tech Harder”. However, it does feature John Carpenter, even if the track does stay in the well-traveled Gunship lane. A very apparent improvement is the more refined vocal lines that shines things up with glossy pop sheen. Gavin Rossdale and Carpenter Brut make an appearance on “DooM Dance”. Rossdale’s vocals take the refrain of the chorus, which works off a pretty steamy groove that might have more of an overt thump. The distinctly androgynous croons of Jake Duzsik from HEALTH coast gracefully over the verse to “Blood For the Blood God”.
“Weaponized Love” finds the vocal hooks dialed into a level that is so sharp it might cut your ears. For the song “Ghost”, we hear a collaboration with Powerglove, whose video game inspired sounds are not as prominent as usual, as the mood shifts into a darker direction , while “Darkness For Dreams” finds the album flirting with darkwave alongside a look back to the sound they cultivated on the first two albums. Britta Philips, who was the voice for the Jem & the Holograms, lends her pipes to the aptly named ” Holographic Heart”, a move relevant enough to appeal to the Tik Tok pop kids, while still paying homage to the lazer-pattern carpet of the arcades that spawned this imagery .
“Nuclear Date Night” leans into a heavier dance-floor groove, as the vocals take on a more breathy tension before Gunship take their collection of all the right sounds and dig into ballad territory. Does it hold up to the kind of ballads Peter Gabriel made? No, but how could it? After all, that is comparing them to the man who sang “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”. Peter merely used this brand of pop to stroke his post-Genesis ego, so for some kids who might have only glimpsed the eighties from behind their diaper bag, Gunship has managed to nail the sound. Unicorn is an album that will continue to grow on you, as the band find themselves ready to make the step up and win themselves a larger audience.
Buy the album here:
https://linktr.ee/gunshipmusic
8 / 10
WIL CIFER