Gdansk81, a post-punk six piece band, describe their sound as being ‘derived from the decayed and now superficially glossed over post-Thatcherite Manchester and Liverpool cityscapes.’
Sounds promising eh? Their EP Star of the Sea, recorded at Oxygene Studio in Manchester, is a nice little five track taster of what this band stands for. The EP kicks off with ‘Hypernormal’, a stripped back guitar and faint drum beat instantly provides atmosphere and leads us into a catchy number with strong vocals from lead singer Macker. This tune makes me want to see Gdansk81 live.
‘Autoclub’ introduces us to vocalist and guitarist Claire and adds an unexpectedly lively and quirky dimension to this collection of tunes.
‘XXX.X’ follows. I recommend listening to the tune to learn how to say the title. If you like the B52s (i.e are aware of more than ‘Love Shack’) then you will enjoy the more than passing resemblance in this tune. I enjoyed it very much.
‘Forgotten’ is probably the stand out track on the EP. Something about this band starts to remind me of the local music scene in my nearest Northern Irish town in the 90s, I’m getting into this very much.
The final track, ’21 Months’, lets us into the bands darker side with a track about an illicit affair, ‘I kissed you under the shadow of your wedding photo…’
Exciting, fresh and a little mysterious – this is a band on the up.
Check out their stuff on Bandcamp and keep an eye on their Facebook page for upcoming gigs.
Article by Breige Cobane
www.breigecobane.com
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