Gazers - The Year of Passage
The Year of Passage was released June 6th, 2021, by Gazers independently on Bandcamp. Similar to Summer’s End EP, the album was a collection of Genesis-esque dance tracks and easy-listening prog-rock with a noticeable increase in experimentation.
The album is perfectly represented by its album cover; light, spacious, colourful, and most importantly tightly executed (represented by the black border). Furthermore, there are some truly remarkable standout tracks. Domina is a wonderful blend of funk, dnb and hard rock a la Limp Bizkit. Similar to Significant Other, the song is light-hearted and head-banging. Fake Smile is divine; a beautiful suite of light tribal jamming, no-wave guitars and theatrical vocals. Earth Sea’s instrumentation is as lush as it is fluent.
While the highs are really high, the lows are very low. Skinner’s Theme is a trepid dance track even Arcade Fire would laugh at. Lager is nothing other than a bland sample dragged over drone. The techno debris works wonders among the pounding industrial beat within Aftermath, though the songwriting is sterile and predictable. The same could be said for Eye of the Beholder Pt. 2 and the more up-beat Run On Sunset Boulevard.
It's a shame the album focuses more on its disco elements than its rock-centric pieces. The album is a chore to get through, with the occasional surprise. The experimentation is admirable, and the skills are noticeably present, though the execution is off. Here’s hoping Gazers keep experimenting till they get it right.
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Listen to it here:
Gazers - The Year of Passage
