Gulfer - Third Wind [Blue & Green Galaxy Vinyl, 180g Vinyl]

TOPSHELF RECORDS

£27.34

Cat. no: LPTSR268C
Format: LP Blue & Green Galaxy Vinyl, 180g Vinyl
Barcode: 634457164932
Release Date: 07 Jun 2024
Genre: Indie

Named for the band's third lease on life, Third Wind fnds Gulfer at a unique moment in their ten-plus year career - When they started in 2011, Gulfer played scrappy, complex math rock infuenced by the emo revival - But in 2024 they've emerged almost unrecognizable, while still retaining the spirit of what made them all fall in love with Gulfer in the frst place

Third Wind's stylistic turns are emphasized by deeper texture and simpler songwriting, infuenced by the reemergence of 90s alternative and shoegaze. With a new emphasis on atmosphere and more straightforward composition, Gulfer give themselves space to explore audaciously. Album opener "Clean" gets as close to pop as the band has ever been, where "No Brainer" dabbles deftly in downer rock that asks "what even is my fucking place in the world?"

Bold juxtapositions feature elsewhere on Third Wind: pop-punk bruiser "Too Slow" stops on a dime before evolving into a slow burning drum n bass passage, all within two minutes. And then there's "Heartshape", a downright love song shrouded in virtuosic performance and electric-acoustic counterpoint. Although these contrasts could be construed as aimless fddling, their seamlessness is the true essence of Third Wind, indicative of a sage band with a renewed love for what they do.

Tracks: Clean / Heartshape / Cherry Seed / Drainer / Too Slow / No Brainer / Motive / Prove / Vacant Spirit / Talk All Night