Gurriers
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As the end of the first quarter of the 21st century inches ever closer, our planet precariously teeters from one crisis to the next. Rather than passively sit back and watch, the high-energy Irish guitar quintet Gurriers are firing on all cylinders and confronting the ills of the modern world on their debut album, Come and See, a truly thrilling collection of razor-sharp progressive punk songs.
Recorded in Leeds at the Nave with Alex Greaves, Come and See blasts off to an explosive start with “Nausea”, giving the concept of Jean Paul Sartre's classic novel of the same name a furious sonic makeover. Guitars screech like sirens, creating a curiously catchy clarion call for an album of raucous reflection.
Come and See explores many themes, be they the end of the world, the disenfranchised youth of Dublin, emigrant friends, the rise of the far right, desensitisation to violence, a pope struggling with belief and love amongst other things. “Nausea” examines how existential mundanity in the 21st century is now essentially lived in the digital realm, and society has blindly sleepwalked into this actuality without realising the full extent of its corrosive damage. Underpaid and overworked content moderators are forced to watch unspeakable horrors, as social media platforms drip feed its users dopamine, further distracting an already overstimulated and distorted cartoonish world from the harsh glare of too much reality.
“Des Goblin” channels the hypnotic energy of dance music and notes how modern narcissism is fuelled by an addiction to online personas. “Close Call” turns up the ferocious guitar intensity to eleven, a fierce hybrid of guitar pop with industrial techno sensibilities. “Dipping Out” is like a post-post-punk version of an Adam Curtis documentary, as the band cite his classic HyperNormalisation as a major source of inspiration. One line perfectly nails the disillusionment of contemporary youth, "Failed by a system that never really lets you exist.” Indeed, if Gurriers weren’t in a band they’d probably be part of a generation leaving Ireland in their droves, driven out by the soaring cost of living and the unattainability of home ownership, left to “live in debt and die in freedom”.
“No More Photos” opens with the memorable line, "Gentlemen, no fighting in the bathroom please. You've been caught doing too many Es” and proceeds to reference Caravaggio. Following a brief instrumental respite, simply titled “Interlude”, the album closes with a breathtaking final flourish of songs and a soaring title track, which tantalisingly hints towards an even more expansive, wide-screen sound for a future chapter. “Approachable” is a tongue-in-cheek anthem mourning the rise of the far right (“Damn, I was born in the wrong era”) that kicks off with a monstrous killer riff. “Top Of The Bill” combines an intricate guitar melody with blasts of noise and a knockout chorus, a live favourite and perfect example of how well Gurriers craft inimitable and intense pop music.
Taking their name from an antiquated and somewhat charming Irish term for lout, ruffian, or street urchin, Gurriers formed in January 2020, initially comprising Dan Hoff on lead vocals, Ben O'Neill on guitar and backing vocals, Mark MacCormack on guitar, Pierce O'Callaghan on drums and Emmet White on bass, who has since amicably left the band and been replaced by Charlie McCarthy.
Hailing from various parts of Ireland, Gurriers met in Dublin. They believed they were destined to connect creatively in a meaningful way, so they formed a band. We don’t need to dwell too much on how events in early 2020 temporarily stalled their progress. "All we wanted to do was be back in a room together and practice," Dan Hoff recalls. "I remember one stage screaming into my pillow because of the extended lockdowns.”
Instead of doom scrolling on their phones, baking banana bread, or bingeing on box sets, Gurriers seized an opportunity to hone their vision and advance their ambition. Over numerous Zoom calls, they meticulously discussed every single aspect of the band, plotting strategies at a time when venues, studios, and rehearsal rooms were shuttered shut. The silence spurned the fledgling group on to make a bigger, more beautifully abrasive noise.
Thanks to a productive pandemic, when Gurriers played their first gig on Halloween 2021 at Dublin's Workman's Club, they'd evolved remarkably as a band. On the back of earlier singles including “Sign of The Times” and “Nausea”, they have received the seal of approval from The Needle Drop's legendary Anthony Fantano and prestigious support from Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephens of BBC Radio 6 Music culminating in their most recent single “Des Goblin” making it up to BBC Radio 6 Music’s A-List at 6, not bad for an unsigned band self-releasing their own music.
Gurriers played festivals throughout Europe and beyond, including SWN, Mad Cool, Reeperbahn, Left of the Dial, London Calling, Latitude, Haldern Pop, Off, The Great Escape, Pukkelpop, Pitchfork Music Festival London, Electric Picnic and All Together Now. Scheduled to play South by Southwest in Austin, Texas last March, Gurriers pulled out alongside virtually all other Irish participants, boycotting the event due to its sponsorship by the US Army. This October, Gurriers will embark on their biggest tour to date in support of their blistering debut.
Inspired by timeless first records by The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, The Chemical Brothers, and Black Midi, Gurriers' first album is no ordinary debut, but an exhilarating statement of intent by five people fed up with tiptoeing politely around the chaos. Come and see for yourself.
