A People’s History Of Gauche
Merge, 2019
8/10
Listen to A People’s History Of Gauche
Washington D.C. has a long history of thriving punk and hardcore sounds, and these days Gauche, who are six players on this recording, are right at the top of that esteemed list. On their first record with the Merge label, Gauche’s New Wave and post-punk ideas unfold with much unpredictability and creativeness, as themes surround anxiety, capitalism and colonization in their inimitable vision.
“Flash” starts the album bass heavy before a firm groove is found amid plenty of melodic vocals that take nods to the ‘70s, and “Cycles” follows with a peppy, punky version of indie-pop armed with a saxophone.
Elsewhere, “Pay Day” finds the outfit in post-punk territory but far from your typical approach to the genre, and “Surveilled Society” keeps the quirkiness alive on a subdued turned swift setting with plenty of dissonance.
The back half of the album offers the group vocals of “Running”, the pretty singing of “Boom Hazard”, which recruits strategic brass, and the eccentric but oh so charming “History”. “Rectangle” ends the listen with yelping in a busy atmosphere that tosses countless ideas into their powerful formula.
A raw yet meticulous sophomore album, though members of Priests and Downtown Boys help make up Gauche, ultimately A People’s History Of Gauche is its own animal, where an artistic approach infiltrates their cautious and animated qualities that bring to mind The B-52’s if they grew up on mid-period Dischord Records.
Travels well with: The Raincoats- Moving; Q And Not U- No Kill No Beep Beep