When I think of music from Minnesota, I immediately think of Prince, the Replacements, Husker Du, and the Clams. The Gully Boys are new to me, thanks to touring with the amazing Durry, but they have made an immediate impression. Their live show felt a bit like a journey where the music became more intense as their set continued. This debut full-length album features a lot of what I heard live, but they have also released some EPs and singles in the past, which I have now also begun to explore. This enjoyable debut has allowed them latitude for whatever they want to do in the future, and it’s even more remarkable that they just started learning to play their instruments back in 2016 when they decided they wanted to start a band.

‘Break’ serves as an excellent opening song as it mixes melodic moments with heavier elements to set the stage for what follows. The opening guitar reminds me a bit of an alt-rock approach from the 90’s, and I love the twists from the rhythm section that lead to the chorus. The hook is subtle, and the breakdown over the last minute or so of the song is very engaging. ‘Me and You’ amps up the intensity a bit with a hookier chorus than the opener. The guitar solo portion stands out in the approach and works well by doing the unexpected. The opening of ‘TTML’ reminds me of what may have been on the radio 30 years ago, but the chorus jumps out of the speaker like it was spliced from ‘Pissjoy’ by the Wildhearts or Delilah Bon at her most intense.

Building more intensity, ‘Mother’ feels grungier and dirtier than the first few songs. There are elements here that also remind me of the much-missed Die Cheerleader, as some of the vocals are cleverly placed deep in the mix and others lash out of the speakers. One of the elements that stood out when seeing the band live is that the members each handle vocals in different songs and in different ways. Utilising all of their voices is definitely a strength. Closing out the first half of the album, ‘Love Me 2’ started as my favourite from the album on first listen as the chorus is instantly memorable, but some of the others have started to pass it now. It clicked when I was writing this that it fits in the same musical pool Artio does with their ‘Babyface’ album.   

Flipping the album over to side 2, we start with my current favourite from the album. ‘Murderapolis’ is a raging two-minute burst of energy and anger. If I had one request here, it would be for the guitars to be as front and centre as they were when I heard it live. The chorus here is excellent, with the different voices each providing their own hooks. The band keeps the intensity going with ‘Spit,’ where the band morphs a bit more into a metal band with some hints of nu-metal. If you are a fan of Wargasm UK, this might be a good first song to hear from the album. This was definitely a standout song live as well. Changing gears quite a bit, ‘Big Boobs’ has an electronic feel with some cool hip hop vocals leading into a catchy chorus. The song could have easily missed the mark, but it really fits into the album flow quite well. The band is trying to get a dance for it to go viral on social media, so help make that happen.

As we near the end of the record, ‘Bad Day’ was an excellent song in their set and provides a catchy hook here that leaves the listener singing along well after the album is done. I love the dynamics between the verses and the chorus. The breakdown in the song builds up to a nice chorus chorus-filled ending. Closer ‘Gimme a Second’ slowly rumbles out of the speakers with a grunge/ alternative flavour. The harmony in the vocals is my favourite part of the song, but the unique guitar work after each chorus is a close second. Compared to the rest of the album, this feels more like a ballad but still rocks in its own way.

This band would have likely escaped my attention if I had not been paying attention to who was opening for Durry. I checked out the album once or twice before the show and then got to hear a lot of this material live. I don’t think they captured some of the live intensity and guitars in the mix that they did in the live setting, but the vocals from each member have more room in the mix on the album, which serves it well. I keep increasing this album’s plays in my rotation and recommend giving it a listen or going to see them live if you have the opportunity. They started as a new band for me, but are now on my ones to watch list.

‘Gully Boys’ is available now.

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Author: Gerald Stansbury