Whilst it might sound like something out of a big budget superhero franchise (or a low budget kid’s TV network), Red Sun Titans is actually the title of alt-pop outfit Gengahr’s latest record.
Brimming with floaty instrumentals and the warped, captivating vocals of Felix Bushe, their follow-up effort to 2020’s Sanctuary, Red Sun Titans feels bolder and brighter – without losing their tried and tested alt-pop styling and polished production.
The 14-track effort begins with ‘Alkali’, a futuristic sounding song which has Bushe’s voices mingled with a satisfying synth beat throughout, the perfect way to prepare the listener for the sun-soaked, energetic offerings that follow. ‘Red Sun Titans’, however, embraces simple stretches and squeaks of an acoustic guitar to grip the listener – proof that sometimes the simplest, no-frills pieces are a band at their best.
A short interlude leads into previous singles, ‘A Ladder’ and ‘In The Moment’, both of which are the band fully embracing the playful pop styling that they have built a career (and a fan base) on. Whilst their previous album captured the anxiety and excitement of the unknown, this one embraces the sense of fun we are experiencing again.
As the listener races through bouncy ‘Heels to The Moon’, more rock-influenced ‘White Lightning’ and bluesy ‘Suburbia’, the album takes a more intimate and introspective turn as it reaches the end as the instrumentals are softer and the vocals feel raw and meaningful. ‘Collapse’ is the softest of the songs on offer, a complete U-turn from the optimistic alt-pop stylings before it but it is as, if not more, captivating for that reason.
Whilst the state of the world and personal matters could have been too much for the band, Gengahr have not let the worst of things stop them from releasing more solid, easy-listening material to soundtrack our sunny evenings. They could have gone bigger here but, like the albums before it, Red Sun Titans works so well because (at its heart) it’s just four friends continuing to do what they love in spite of everything else.
Words by Jen Rose
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