Compared to other artists that occupy the “90s Britpop stars go solo” genre, Gaz Coombes continues to fly somewhat under the radar with his albums - of which there are now 4. Whilst not reaching the commercial heights of Gorillaz or the Gallagher brothers’ solo work, his past few releases have been incredibly consistent and fresh, truly cementing his place as a gem in the British alternative rock scene. His most recent release, Turn The Car Around, is no exception to this rule, writes Mark Fannon.
The opening track, Overnight Trains, works very effectively to set the scene of the album. Its slow, building piano into soaring vocals and guitar seem to create a brilliant blend of hope an drama that runa through the subsequent tracks. Upon first listen, it had a similar effect on me to David Bowie’s Five Years - though with a slightly toned-down apocalyptic mood.
Don’t Say It’s Over, the lead single for the release, begins immediately after and can be best described as Radiohead-meets-modern-Arctic-Monkeys. Synths and piano embellishments run smoothly underneath Coombes’ soothing voice - occasionally met with dissonant distorted guitars. As a track, it highlights a creative progression from his last release, 2018's World’s Strongest Man, being able to blend styles and sounds together with ease.
"The effortless blend of sonic styles is impressive - especially when it still feels as organic and emotionally driven as this."
The following tracks continue to impress, particular highlights of mine being Long Live The Strange (a loud and bombastic tune that will shine in a live setting) and Not The Only Things - a beautiful song that Coombes says was written for his daughter as a follow-up to The Girl Who Fell To Earth. Whilst being the longest track on the album at 5:37, it by no means drags and is probably one of the best songs of his career. Again, the effortless blend of sonic styles is impressive - especially when it still feels as organic and emotionally driven as this.
The title track is a lot more upbeat and is probably one of the most accessible tracks on the album, with an uplifting chorus complimented by a guitar line reminiscent of early Radiohead. This Love is built up from a several-bar loop and features lyrics referring to Romeo and Juliet and is a celebration of the relationship between him and his wife. Though simple in structure, the singalong lyrics and groovy bass make the track an enjoyable experience. Sonny The Strong revisits the more classic style of Coombes’ solo work (it wouldn’t feel too out of place on his preceding albums) before Dance On acts as a beautiful set of ending credits - starting with a simple acoustic guitar and building into yet another beautiful soundscape. It feels like a fond farewell to the listener, with the last few lyrics talking about dreams of a utopia ahead.
If 2018’s World’s Strongest Man was an in-depth showcase of Gaz Coombes’ song writing and experimental abilities, Turn The Car Around feels like a true victory lap. It maintains accessibility (perhaps more so than World’s Strongest Man) whilst pushing the listener to seek out every deliberate detail painted into the tracks. With nothing left to prove after this, I’m excited to see what comes next.
Mark Fannon
Edited by: Izzy Morris
Cover and in-article image courtesy of Gaz Coombes on Facebook. Video courtesy of Gaz Coombes on YouTube.
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