THE GAMITS are apparently fairly popular in Italy and Japan; I’ve also been informed that they have toured with BIGWIG, RUFIO and LAGWAGON in the States. I was expecting to hear some break neck speed technical skate punk mayhem. Well how wrong could I have been? What we have here is an album of expertly well crafted power pop songs. Not surprisingly, touring with such mix matched bands is probably why they’re not as popular as they should be stateside.
I’ve listened to this album maybe about ten times since it came into my possession and what I’ve come to like about it is that it’s so consistent from start to finish. There are no songs that stick out like a saw thumb and no blatant attempts at a ‘novelty’ commercial single which are both very admirable qualities. What we do have however, is eleven tracks of well written, super melodic and emotive power pop songs.
Of course when I say ‘pop’ I don’t necessarily mean synthesised, brainless, throwaway ditties ala STEPS but more guitar driven odes with feeling. Indie perhaps? No, there is something too heart warming and unashamedly unpretentious to label them that, as all these songs give me the idea that they do have real emotion and experience behind them all.
While there a little in the way of ‘slap me again, was that the best thing I’ve ever heard’ sort of tracks on here, as previously mentioned the consistency makes up for that as much as possible. Although I’d have to say; opening track ‘Dotted Lines’, ‘How to Escape’ (which has a video on the enhanced section) and ‘Bloodstaines/Picture Frames’ are the outstanding tracks, mainly for the barbed hooked choruses which I’m always sucker for.
This album unfortunately isn’t going to be a marking point for all guitar driven bands to aim at in future years, although in an ideal world this is perhaps the sort of thing pop should sound like. The brutal may say it’s dull but I think it’s a very safe release in that it doesn’t push any aural boundaries or redefine rock music’s foundations. And perhaps it is too safe; as mentioned; it doesn’t really have any killer tracks, that commercial single or genre bending styles to hoist them to mainstream success. But it certainly is a solid release of good songs.
www.gamits.com
www.surburbanhomerecords.com
Mike