GLOO, Stop And Stare
Self-Release
If you love punk that feels bright and summery but still packs a punch, GLOO have just the thing for you. Stop And Stare combines grunge and punk in a way that is both chaotic and masterfully precise — and, most importantly, it’s outrageously fun.
From the start of title track Stop And Stare you can’t help but do just that; the confidence of this Sussex trio’s sound translates immediately. It’s hard to believe these guys only released their debut a year ago, their style already so refined. The guitars have grunge written all over them, loud and angry, refusing to be silenced.
However, what gives GLOO an edge is how carefree their sound feels. Whilst tracks touch on topics of paranoia and the struggles of modern life, the EP feels like an escape. Bad Sign’s call to ‘take this, take this all away from me’ suggests that the band want to do just that: they want to create a sound that makes you dance and yell, to forget the woes of reality for a moment. And, considering how the constant drumbeat entirely drowns your mind in sound, it’s fair to say GLOO are fulfilling their goal.
Interestingly, at times Stop And Stare’s sound sometimes embodies surf punk, particularly Californian punks Wavves. Bad Sign and Great Idea are fine examples of this, the entire track feeling like an incredibly loud, boisterous rush of sunshine through your body. The crowd vocals and ‘woo!’s on Drama Queen also creates a song that feels like drinking with your pals, a vibe that really emphasises the band’s surf punk qualities.
Closer I’m A Mess is perhaps the most simple song on the EP, but with lyrics so unbelievably simple (think ‘I’m a mess, I’m a mess, I’m a mess, I’m a mess, I’m a mess’, rinse, and repeat) it is undoubtedly the most fun. It sounds like a song the guys must have loved making, the joy of recording entirely translating through the guitar and drums. It’s a brilliant note to end on, hammering home just how enjoyable GLOO’s sound truly is.
Stop And Stare is an EP that is impossible not to bop along to. If you’ve got ears, you’ll be glued to these tracks for the foreseeable future.
Buy Stop And Stare here.