MusiCube | Gunship (Album Review)

The music is, as a result, of course, unmistakably and unashamedly 80s in its sound and production. There is liberal use of analogue synthesiser lines and artificial drum machines across the album to create a distinctive, aged sound with hints of modern production values, while the vocals are also typically cinematic and highly evocative of classic 80s productions. While some other artists of the synthwave genre, such as Kavinsky and Electric Youth, present a more palpable mix of modern techno sensibilities with retro sounds, Gunship opts to be a little more conservative, more inclined to adhere to a singular and less chaotic sound, which is consistent throughout most of the album.

This also has the unfortunate side-effect of blurring the lines between the individual tracks due to the lack of distinguishing features. While there are a select few tracks that stand out due to their excellent melodies and catchy hooks, many of the forgettable and less remarkable tracks are lent an additional degree of invisibility in the album's vast sea of synthesised sound. As so many of the tracks share close similarities on the surface, it may take a good few tries before the listener can develop distinct memories of each of the individual tracks. There are subtle distinguishing features present in the music and thematic concepts explored in the lyrics, but these are, as mentioned, subtle at best.

The advantages of this approach, however? Well, it goes without saying that for fans of the genre, Gunship will present massive appeal. There is no doubt that the creators have achieved a truly authentic 80s sound, harking back to a time where bold neon aesthetics, wild voluptuous hairstyles and wonky, geometric polygon computer graphics were at the absolute cutting-edge of fashion. The album is additionally not without its strong points; highlights include "Revel in Your Time": a strong and simple track with a catchy chorus and optimistically worded lyrics about potential love, and "Tech Noir": slower in tempo, almost bordering on chillout-style, where the distinctive harmonies between the guest vocalists, John Carpenter and Charlie Simpson, take centre stage to create a lush and atmospheric soundscape.

The album's release is also notable for marking the first ever time a music video has been created sorely through Grand Theft Auto V's in-game film editor on PC, made in collaboration with the serial YouTubers at 8-Bit Bastard. The song itself, "The Mountain," the opener to the album and one of its strongest tracks, is a solidly composed and dramatic piece that nicely encapsulates the feel of the entire album right from the off. It's ultimately debatable whether the music itself fits well with the world of Grand Theft Auto V, given the anachronistic differences between the two source materials, but this is no less a big step forward in the field of machinima regardless, and a worthy example of the versatility and wide-reaching influences of video games today.

6/10

Good

Though it is most definitely flawed in some respects, Gunship offers a few excellent songs and a distinctive sound to add to synthwave's gradually growing popularity. It's solidly built and certainly delivers on the retro front, but it is perhaps too dependent on the listener's appreciation for a specific genre of music, which not all may have fond thoughts for. For 80s aficionados, however, it probably goes without saying that this is essential listening. Whether this will necessarily result in a wider, more "mainstream" success will remain to be seen.