Gunship’s new record ‘Dark All Day ‘ lacks substance [Review]
In 2015, British synthwave trio Gunship shook the electronic and rock scenes with their slick self-titled debut album. Three years on, and their follow up release Dark All Day is full of similarly glossy production, but falls short when it comes to songwriting.
The album’s dreamlike, otherworldly aesthetic would be incredibly impactful if it weren’t for the fact that it is completely overused, with every track following the same template, and each pushing the five or six-minute mark.
The title track offers a notable exception with a schmoozy saxophone solo, before stand-out track When You Grow Up, Your Heart Dies kicks in with the most immediate synth-pop sensibilities.
But aside from these moments, it’s a bit style over substance, with cringey spoken-word intros, an underwhelming cover of Cyndi Lauper classic Time After Time, and either overly-simplistic or nonsensical lyrics.
Gunship are a great gateway into the world of retro-synth escapism, but there are a tonne of acts who have been doing the same thing, a lot better, for a lot longer.