“Beautiful freak just get your foot down tonight.“
It’s been a fair few years since GUNSHIP emerged on the synthwave scene in 2015 with their self-titled full-length. An era which which saw arguably some of the genre’s best material from the likes of Carpenter Brut on compilation Trilogy, Perturbator‘s finest records in Dangerous Days and Uncanny Valley, and scattered within all this was excellent material from the likes of Dead Astronauts, Empathy Test and The Midnight. Many will note that in the same year as their debut, GUNSHIP duo Alex Westaway and Dan Haigh played their part in one of 2015’s best releases in the form of Fightstar‘s comeback (and since, final) record, Behind The Devil’s Back, with both projects further intertwining themselves on track “Tech Noir“, and now “Tech Noir 2“, with features from Fightstar vocalist Charlie Simpson.
Since then, GUNSHIP have expanded their horizons and become a trio with the addition of Alex Gingell, with as many now knowing the trio for their work on the synthwave project. Tracks on LP Dark All Day saw the breakout fully begin, with the record’s title track featuring Indiana and Tim Capello, as well as numbers such as “Black Blood Kiss Red” featuring Kat Von D and ballad “When You Grow Up, Your Heart Dies” becoming hits for GUNSHIP. Now, their much anticipated sophomore record enters centre stage once again, and while this we are certainly in a much different synthwave world than the one they emerged in, what GUNSHIP have pieced together on this impressive record still demonstrates them group as the best in the game.
Wargasm vocalist Milkie Way welcomes in Unicorn with “all this living is so worth dying for” as forceful drum fills and beats move into centre stage. There is a swagger and style to the exchange of vocals between Way and Westaway, and the track as a whole, that gives purpose allowing it to avoid the laissez-faire sentiment that many synthwave records fall into. The drumming here has prowess to it, harbouring an energy akin to the likes of Genesis during the early to mid ’80s. The saxophone solo from a returning Tim Capello adds a sense of grandiosity to the opener, and as a track it sets the lights on full beam from the get go.
The cool side of GUNSHIP exemplified by their dancing synths and pop grooves swiftly returns on “Taste Like Venom“. It’s a pleasant return of their more staple sound, and while it doesn’t have quite the impact of the opener, it neatly bridges the opener to following track “Empress Of The Damned“, which features the well-known Lights. The deep bass with a pulsating beat rumbles open here, with the Canadian musician taking the lead vocally across the track, and Westaway chiming in on the chorus. It’s during these exchanges that “Empress Of The Damned” sonically leans more into trance stylings, and as good as the track is, it’s a bit of an odd one in the wider context of Unicorn. It has an air of a track that you would see commissioned for a League of Legends tie-in, or something equally as evil. This isn’t to say it’s a bad track by any stretch, however it perhaps would just have been better suited as a standalone effort.
Early on comes what will potentially be the most anticipated in “Tech Noir 2“, seeing returning features from John Carpenter, alongside the aforementioned Charlie Simpson. A worded intro once again opens the track, with tense and tight drumming pairing with synths build the track’s soundscape. As Simpson enters just over a third of the way into the track, it’s a metaphorical tear in the eye moment to once again see Westaway and Simpson trading vocals after eight years. Some lovely vocal hooks are scattered around the track with a gorgeous and heartfelt delivery make for what will likely be noted as one of GUNSHIP‘s best tracks, and does nothing more than inject excitement about the possible return of Fightstar in the future.
It’s always a challenge to keep pace on a record when such a strong track hits early on, let alone a strong opening stretch. GUNSHIP take the hammer to this on pounding “DooM Dance”, commanded by large and encompassing percussion and synths, that are enough to make anything but an extravagant sound system feel inadequate. Rough and raspy vocals giving an edge on top of the metal-stylings from feature Carpenter Brut ensure Unicorn doesn’t peter out early on. The what would be set of star-studded features to some continue with HEALTH on following track “Blood For The Blood God“, that opens very much into the stylings of the industrial unit glittered with the traditional synthwave aesthetics of GUNSHIP. The limited vocals from Westaway and the industrial elements at the forefront do make this seem closer to a track from HEALTH‘s DISCO series, as opposed to something that would directly sit on a GUNSHIP record, even if it is once again another great track on Unicorn.
A change of pace that comes on “Weaponized Love” is welcome and settles the album’s flow and tempo, giving GUNSHIP‘s synth-laden grooves and funk room to breath, and allowing Unicorn to a feel a bit like their own record again after a hefty stretch of collaborations. While another feature from Power Glove does follow in “Ghost“, the two come together in an acute manner it makes a stake for what is the best feature track on the record alongside “Tech Noir 2“. Delving into GUNSHIP‘s melancholic side, the cinematic and broad synths that saw Power Glove so easily soundtrack Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and create two, admittedly underappreciated, EPs in the form or conveniently named EP I and EP II. The natural ebb and flow to the synth work gives the slowed-down track a gargantuan presence, and as opposed to some of the previous features, it feels as Power Glove compliments and enhances GUNSHIP‘s sound rather than annex or overpower it.
The journey through Unicorn continues on “Darkness For Dreams”, and even after such a stretch of tracks, the track shows that journey far from being over. Interchanging punchy vocals and beats, with gentle vocals that are complimented by an unnamed female feature, its almost dream-like manner at times is easy to get lost within. Famed vocalist Britta Phillips makes up the last of the features on “Holographic Heart“, and the creativeness of such a choice is commendable. As with “Ghost“, the style of Phillips vocals here fit in exquisitely, and further servers to bolster GUNSHIP‘s sound. The soft yet purposefully delivered vocals by the veteran musician make for a heartfelt vocal duet between Phillips and Westaway, with the track’s energy crescendoing as the backing saxophone explodes into a big solo.
It is here when a minor sense of fatigue begins to set in as “Nuclear Date Night“, as Unicorn ticks over the 40 minute mark. Despite the bass, string work and energetic synths, this and arguably a few others that have been touched on do make Unicorn feel somewhat bloated. While the gap in release may justify a larger offering, it subtracts from the closing stretch of what is GUNSHIP‘s best record to date. Conversely, however, before entering the closer, in amongst this come tracks “Run Like Hell” and “Lost Shadow“, with the former utilising some pleasant baritone guitar work and a track that blends well with Westway’s exceptional vocals. It even adds in that cheese that GUNSHIP occasionally tap into, but not so much that it ends up off-putting like in previous implementations, including “When You Grow Up, Your Heart Dies“.
As the former lamenting track sings “Don’t cry because it’s over, just smile because it was“, which on the face of it may seem a tad on the nose, the delivery and composition around it make for a surprisingly touching moment on the record. “Lost Shadow” continues the melancholic gear shift of Unicorn, a heartache-laden track has that a level of high-school break-up dramatics to it, perhaps outstaying its welcome a tad despite its overall strength. Both tracks do posit themselves as tracks that could have closed out Unicorn, yet “Postcard From The American Dream” really drills a sense of departure. The ballad-esque track layered with synths and vocals doubles on the theatrics, proving nigh on impossible not to get caught up in it. There is a romanticism and melancholy to Unicorn‘s closing moments that is inescapable, and is a more than memorable closer to what is certainly GUNSHIP’s best work to date.
There is a mix of being blown away and also exhaustion after navigating through Unicorn. The run-time of just over an hour is perhaps a bit too much, and a handful of tracks should have been left on the cutting floor or used elsewhere. Other than this, many of the features are shrewd choices; Charlie Simpson, Power Glove, Milkie Way and Britta Phillips of most note, that broaden the appeal of GUNSHIP while adding to their sound. If Unicorn achieves anything, it will be providing a plentiful collection of tracks that GUNSHIP fans, who over the years have been more than patient in waiting for new material. The follow up to “Tech Noir” delivers significant fan service to those long-time listeners, and the likes of “Monster In Paradise“, “Ghost” “Run Like Hell” and “Postcard From The American Dream” are certainly set to become fan favourites. All told, Unicorn is a magical and theatrical record that sees GUNSHIP reach all new highs, and most certainly showcases the talent at hand with Westaway, Haigh and Gingell , displaying their greater understanding of the genre.
9/10
Unicorn is out September 29th via Horsie In The Hedge, and can be pre-ordered here.