Tender lyrics and beautiful melodies, Gengahr are set to the release the most romantic album of 2015. This is rather odd considering their approach to song writing is taking influence from dark twisted horror films of the past, but there’s no denying just how swooning this album is. After releasing the singles ‘Powder/Bathed In Light’, ‘She’s A Witch’ and the latest single ‘Heroine’ (all of which appear on the album) their reputation was ever growing, with fans including Lauren Laverne from BBC 6 Music and Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens. With support slots with Darlia, Wolf Alice, Alt J and The Maccabees they are a band with a wealth of support. A Dream Outside certainly justifies all this support.
The soft swooning voice of Felix Bushe is most obvious in the stand out track ‘Heroine’, where the guitar works perfectly with the vocals. Yet somehow instead of lulling you to sleep, the hypnotic quality to this track will keep you bobbing along even after the song is long finished. This is the theme of the album, melodies that you simply can’t get of your head. ‘Where You Lie’ is the perfect example, even the first time you hear it, the melody and guitar keep you interested and already singing along to the chorus first listen through. ‘Powder’ was the first single released by the band last year, and it’s a real beauty. The guitar is scratchy and again compliments the vocals brilliantly, giving you a grungey but ethereal edge. The albums second track, ‘She’s A Witch’ shows off Gengahr’s hazy pop side and manages to have you grooving along from the first note.
An album with gorgeous vocals that grab you straight away and guitars to match it, this is a truly fantastic debut from Gengahr. With a summer full of festivals and their own UK tour in October, make sure you check them out: their songs are made to be grooving along to in a random field.
Words by Callum McCormack
@mccormackcallum