6th-anniversary vinyl release of GUNSHIP's self-titled debut album. This Limited Edition Gold 2 LP set is inspired by the legendary GOLD Nintendo World Championship cartridges. The jacket features handwritten liner notes and doodles by the band detailing the cinematic influences that inspired the creation of the album. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl.
Gunship is the synthwave/pop side-project of Alex Westaway (the non-Charlie Simpson vocalist/guitarist) and Dan Haigh (bassist) of UK rock/post-hardcore band Fightstar, formed while on hiatus since 2009’s ‘Be Human’.
From the neon-oozing, Mega Drive-parodying artwork, to the VHS effects on the videos, to the fantastically tacky effects on their website, it is clear that Gunship were built for 1989 before even the opening bars of the album ring out.
But herein lies a question – given the obvious worship to this era, is there any depth hiding behind this unashamed lack of subtlety"
Or is ‘Gunship’ (like a seemingly endless legion of modern comics) merely content in acknowledging past pop culture without any further expansion?
Fortunately for the listener, very much the former.
First of all, the production on this album is absolutely pristine – every fuzzy, reverb-soaked layer of analogue synthesizer sounds perfectly placed in the mix, balanced by melodramatic drum patterns that always stay true to their influence rather than taking a more standard EDM trajectory.
Westaway’s vocals have never been the strongest, but he finds a very good range here, allowing a more gentle delivery to come through that greatly suits him.
Lead single ‘Fly For Your Life’ features guest vocals from Stella La Page, sultrily playing off Westaway’s almost Bastille-esque choruses to create a startlingly atmospheric contrast to the vicious dogfight scenes of the video (seriously, check that *** out).
While it’s hard to pick out particular highlights as such, tracks such as ‘Tech Noir’, ‘Pink Mist’ and ‘Kitsune’ display an almost alarming solemn maturity in songwriting against such a silly concept.
The 80’s synthwave movement undeniably shapes this record, but Gunship bring real talent and nous to avoid letting the songs grow in their own right rather than becoming caricatures.
Gunship are to be applauded here for creating such a well-rounded novelty on the one hand, and a fantastic pop record on the other.
| A1 | GUNSHIP - The Mountain |
| A2 | GUNSHIP - Revel In Your Time |
| A3 | GUNSHIP - Tech-Noir |
| B1 | GUNSHIP - Shadow Fury |
| B2 | GUNSHIP - Pink Mist |
| B3 | GUNSHIP - Kitsune |
| C1 | GUNSHIP - Black Sun On The Horizon |
| C2 | GUNSHIP - The Hegemon |
| C3 | GUNSHIP - Fly For Your Life |
| C4 | GUNSHIP - Maximum Black |
| D1 | GUNSHIP - Tech-Noir (Carpenter Brut Remix) |
| D2 | GUNSHIP - Revel In Your Time (Miami Nights 1984 Remix) |
| D3 | GUNSHIP - Black Sun On The Horizon (Makeup And Vanity Set Remix) |
| D4 | Lionface (2) - No Hope State (Gunship Remix) |
