ALBUM: Gengahr 'A Dream Outside'

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In the past few months, Gengahr have joined the likes of Superfood and Wolf Alice in becoming one of the biggest sensations in new indie music; thus, the release of their debut album, A Dream Outside, has been a long awaited, and very well received one.

Whilst the vocals are perhaps a little in danger of venturing into the very controversial alt-j territory, Gengahr manage to strike the balance, counteracting the whipsy, high-pitched vocals with darker, stronger undertones. The ethereal nature of the vocals is both complimented and brought down to earth a little by the melodies underneath. That being said, the likes of ‘Bathed In Light’ do little to stop the other-worldly feeling, and in all honesty, there’s no reason to. The album is a perfect example of a very successful attempt at making romanticism cool.

Eleven tracks long, the band’s debut album combines previously released singles ‘Heroine’ and ‘She’s A Witch’ with the likes of ‘Dark Star’. It is, of course, difficult not to be instantly drawn to ‘Heroine’, finding yourself unexpectedly knowing the words, but this is by no means a case of the singles taking the frontline while the others fade into the background. ‘Embers’, for example, previously unreleased, in instantly gripping: simple but effective, the psychedelic, muted guitars pick the album up even more, adding yet another layer to Gengahr’s talent.

A Dream Outside will leave you not only eagerly awaiting more from Gengahr, but endlessly humming melodies and wondering why the lyrics “fill my gums with blood” sound so romantic all of a sudden. Gengahr have proved exactly why you should believe the hype.

A Dream Outside is out now via Transgressive Records Ltd.