On February 20, Wot Gorilla? is set to release their latest album Stay Home.
Being a band that’s almost local to me, I really wanted to like this album. I don’t hate it, in fact, I can hear that Wot Gorilla? are talented and do have love for music. I feel like there’s a lot of tidying up needed. I also feel like maybe I wasn’t the intended audience. There’s a mature feel, like (really) early 00s emo, and I feel like fans of that may be the audience. I don’t think I’m fully there.
The let-down is the song writing. There are some long tracks (7-8 minutes), and there’s no clear direction within them. A message is intended. As No Side to Sit repeats ‘civilian lives are not negotiable’ – which I agree with. The song style is all over the place, as if they aren’t sure what type of song they want. I feel this continues throughout the album.
What solidified this feeling is when it hit the final track, and single, Young Man’s Game. The beginning of that song hit me and drew me in. It’s strong, it’s confident. There’s a big switch in direction. And it does slightly lose that after the first minute, for the vocals, but the music remains strong. There’s even, I believe, a saxophone in the middle? Incredible. The song is different, but not so different that it feels out of place on the album. It’s a fun song, that encouraged movement from me and pushed up emotion.
The talent is there for Wot Gorilla? I don’t know what changed while writing Young Man’s Game, but that’s a direction that needs exploring. The other songs feel rushed, and they’re arguably too long. A bit of refinement, and this album could’ve been great.
Of course, tastes vary! Stay Home might be right up your street and you may completely disagree with me. The only way to know is to listen to it, and you can from February 20!
