A famous quote from Monty Python’s Flying Circus is apt for this review: “And now for something completely different.” We’ve covered some music that extends outside of the boundaries of rock and metal, but still maintains links to heavy music – The Anix, for instance, in this scribe’s case. A genre that contains significant crossover appeal is synthwave; the pacing, song structure, and powerful moments all have a strong relation in spirit and build to metal music, with a very different but sonically infectious outcome. One of the pioneers in the synthwave genre’s thick 80s nostalgia is Gunship. Hailing from the U.K., the trio of Alex Westaway, Dan Haigh, and Alex Gingell have released three full-lengths, with a lot of singles sprinkled in between. Their first self-titled album took the electronic music world by storm in 2015, followed up in 2018 by Dark All Day, an equally well-written and impactful release. This third album has been eagerly anticipated for a while now, and 2023 finally brings that to the surface in the form of Unicorn.
To those familiar with Gunship’s discography, they’ve had a predominantly 80s aesthetic with a classic synth soundscape, culminating in emotive and infectious tunes with a cinematic quality. While Unicorn still maintains those core elements, there’s a fair amount of exploration and variance in their sound this time, resulting in a familiar yet expansive profile that’s fresh and incredibly catchy. There are plenty of new collaborators who bring their touch to the songs they contribute on, while some previous names also return. “Empress of the Damned” is a notable example, featuring the soothing and enigmatic vocals of Lights, resulting in a dark but bright song that offers a different flavor. The familiar sounds of saxophonist Tim Capello (the bad ass sax playing fellow from The Lost Boys) return, who also contributes several saxophone pieces throughout Unicorn, as well as in the past on the previous album’s title track. “Tech Noir 2” serves as a sequel to the now famous John Carpenter team up of the same name from Gunship’s debut, keeping a similar beat/tempo to the original (as well as Charlie Simpson’s vocal contributions), but also being its own blissful horror-soaked creation.
The first single “Monster in Paradise” also is the opener, featuring none other than Dave Lombardo (yes, that one), alongside composer Tyler Bates (John Wick films), and the esteemed vocal talents of Milkie Way (Wargasm). An dark yet uptempo track with a lethal predominant synth line, and the constant vocal back-and-forth between Westaway and Milkie Way are a formidable combination. Perhaps the most bombastic and lethal entry is “DooM Dance,” which is a tandem piece with fellow synthwave titan Carpenter Brut. If one remembers last year’s Carpenter Brut leviathan of an album Leather Terror and song “The Widow Maker” featuring Westaway’s vocals, this track features the darksynth magic of the French mastermind, as well as the unexpected but wonderfully utilized vocals of alternative rock legend Gavin Rossdale of Bush fame. A mix that this writer didn’t see coming, but absolutely adores in the final product. Westaway and Rossdale showcase a chemistry that simply works.
A distinctive mashup between monolithic industrial/noise band HEALTH via the ritualistic “Blood for the Blood God” is a delectably decadent piece of misanthropy that is one of the best and distinctive on offer. For seekers of something subdued, the Power Glove (not the video game inspired metal band, but the Australian electronica/synthwave duo) combined effort “Ghost” lushly seeps through as a prolific standout, while the 80s period piece vocal duet of Britta Philips and Westaway shines in sun-drenched nostalgia on “Holographic Heart.” While the collaborative tracks are rife with musical diversity and flavor, the ones that are purely Gunship are some of the strongest on Unicorn. “Taste like Venom” is a bright neon-soaked ride down a post-apocalyptic highway, while “Lost Shadow” and “Run Like Hell” provide stirringly brilliant misty-eyed reverence. The latter’s synthy smoothness and beautifully reflective lyrical chorus of “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it was” cut digital/literal onions for this gladly admitted sap, tantamount to being one of my favorite Gunship endeavors.
Closer “Postcard from the American Dream” is a nifty parallel in title and seemingly similar in message to The Midnight’s poignant “America 2,” serving as a fitting conclusion to what is one of the most heartfelt, varied, and top quality synthwave/electronic rock albums of the year. Time will be the judge if Unicorn will hold the esteem of becoming a historical genre bending all-time record, but this writer feels like it has all of the ingredients and acclaim to become just that. Gunship have teased in the past that they’d make the leap to full live performances once they had the catalogue to support it. Arguably, they had that before this album, but Unicorn simply must put that narrative to bed, and some monumental tours have to be in the works, right? If that comes to fruition, one can guarantee that it’ll be a can’t miss event, just as Unicorn inarguably is.