Fire the Gulls! Fire! the Gulls

 

I now feel my recovery is inextricably link to my efforts to capture and respond to new music. I fight every day to listen, really listen to three or four songs and from those select one that I have something to say about.

I have a fair amount to say about The Gulls, and this song.

Authentic. How do you measure whether a performer is a pose or reality? I don't mean whether they wear an eye patch and scream in anger when they buy their dinner, I mean to what extent is the music from the heart, from the gut, or from an idea of what a hoped-for audience will want. I rarely enjoy anything that feels fabricated  - that is probably my main takeaway from the Longtooth and Wasterman single, it is very, very real. There is no pretence.

https://open.spotify.com/track/3CYfH7geMLtZhWsUKx19cP?si=80bdf99842a64171

The Gulls immediately hit me as real, genuine writers and performers. This is the music they live to make and you can tell. There are clever touches and flourishes that might be from the hand of a producer or editor, but the heart of the music beats strongly. There are touches in here of indie heroes such as the Libertines, a haunting echo of the Doors, and a delightful hint of Deepest South. I mean none of those comparisons to be binding and damning I am just trying to say the reference points I have after playing this song in my headphones as I complete my therapy.

The videos of the band are a good deal more visceral and powerful, but I actually like the studio recording because they don't use that power to impress, they let the tight strike of the guitar and the soul in the voice carry the song to its destination.