Yes, that is an actual wristwatch. Mine turned up this morning, and I’m wearing it as I type this. It’s bright orange, so it stands out – Gunning for Tamar don’t just think outside the box when it comes to their music, after all. The band decided to release their second EP on a limited-edition physical format of some sort (Alcopop! seem to have a thing for stuff like this, has anyone else noticed that?!), an with an EP title like Time Trophies, it made sense for it to be an actual watch. You could say that the band’s ‘time has come’, but I’m not going to go there.
Instead, here are a few reasons why the band are worth your while: to start with, their sound has a wide appeal, suited to fans of straight-up pop, as well as those who like to hear a more cerebral approach to the creation of music. The title track is the best example of this; the math-rock structure (multiple segments, lots of twists and turns, time signatures all over the place) keeps the listener guessing, but everything is anchored by a keen sense of melody that brings to mind Alcopop! stablemates Jumping Ships. This is music of the extremely catchy variety; the band themselves say they’re very proud of the EP, and it’s not hard to see why.
Chocolate Hooves is the EP highlight, taking all the elements of the GFT sound (powerful vocals and guitars, technically-accomplished drumming and driving bass, not to mention an unexpectedly huge chorus) and fusing them all into a math-pop gem that lasts just over 3 minutes. It’s written entirely in 7/8, which gives it a wonderful sense of urgency, and when the second, markedly different chorus hits towards the song’s finish, the band’s knack for immediacy is driven home. The trio of original tracks on the EP is closed out with the more reflective Astronaut-Abort, which stretches to over five minutes, led by a twinkling piano hook and divided into several movements which are blended into a cohesive whole.
The EP also features remixes of two of its tracks, by bands that GFT have toured with in the past. First up is Maybeshewill’s take on the title track, which, if not for the use of vocals, could have fit as a b-side to one of the Leicester band’s own singles from their latest album; it has that cinematic sort of sound they have become known for – check out the euphoric climax it builds to! – and is an interesting spin on the song. Things draw to a close with Junior from Johnny Foreigner taking on Chocolate Hooves, and somehow making its melody even more beautiful, adding some looped, delayed guitars and a thumping backbeat, not to mention a meaty bassline. These remixes are just as good as what’s come before, but don’t take away from the power of the source material in the slightest. Gunning for Tamar have taken a serious step up, and this EP has marked them out as… ones to watch. (I had to, and I will make no apologies for that pun.)
Time Trophies is out today; you can get the wristwatch (available in very limited qualities) as well as MP3s from the Alcoshop! A free download of Chocolate Hooves and an EP stream are below.
Chocolate Hooves:
http://soundcloud.com/alcopop/gunning-for-tamar-chocolate
EP Stream:
