Genre : Noise rock, Post-punk, Industrial noise
Released : October 7th, 2022
Label : Rough Trade Records
FFO : METZ, black midi, Squid, Lightning Bolt, Daughters
Formerly known as Girl Band, on their third full-length release, Gilla Band expand upon their abrasive experiments with noise by implementing more electronic elements to their already maddening wall of sound obtained through a variety of guitar and bass effect pedals.
The now unmistakable dead-pan yells and psychotic ravings of vocalist Dara Kiely deliver some of the band's funniest, puzzling yet also personal lyrical material yet over songs that, paradoxically enough, seem to have more of a defined songwriting structure while also being some of their most chaotic and serrated material thus far.
The sound production on "Most Normal" is also a notable step-up given how crisp and clear it allows Gilla Band's crowded and distorted, harsh-noise influenced spin on noise rock and post-punk to be.
Making loud, experimental, punishing music without it ending up sounding like an uncontrolled mess is a challenge already, but infusing it with the catchiness and even danceability almost of alternative rock is a bet Gilla Band have managed to successfully pull off on this new album which has to be my favourite output from the Dublin quartet as of today.
"Most Normal" looses nothing of Gilla Band's nihilistic, experimental roughness and oddity, if anything, it sees the band double down on those aspects more than ever with an added fluidity to the songwriting and even in the way the tracks follow each other during the album's run time with a newfound, dare I say it, "accessibilty" between big fucking brackets.
If noisy and experimental is your morning cup of coffee (or pint of beer, I won't judge), then you'd be wise in giving this new release the attention it deserves.