This year marks the 30th anniversary of Scottish rockers GUN and the Glaswegians who have always stayed so true to their roots and have one of the closest connections with their fan base that you’re likely to see are back with new album Favourite Pleasures.
Favourite Pleasures is the bands 7th album and their first since 2015’s acclaimed Frantic and by the end of the album opener “She Knows”, you will have a smile plastered on your face the size of the Clyde Arc- a famous bridge in their home town.
“She Knows” is a classic slice of rock n’ roll with a truly catchy chorus and the opening licks which set this album alive are truly infectious. “Here’s Where I Am” could well be a metaphor for the entire band who after major line up changes and a roller coaster ride through three decades seem at their most happiest and content. There’s a fine touch of Mott the Hoople here and the middle eight sounds reminiscent of The Beatles.
Title track and single to which the band have shot a video for is “Favourite Pleasures” which is going to be an instant crowd pleaser. New guitarist Tommy Gentry has spruced up the band and lends a wickedly brilliant hand to the album and that’s not of course to leave out the man, the myth, the legend in Jools Gizzi, without him the band simply wouldn’t sound the same. His brother Dante, who of course started out on guitar with the band many moons ago, is now the recognized singer, and he has arguably never sounded better on a studio album. Whilst the title track sees him on top of his game, he has the ability to sound so different with his vocal range that you may not recognize his voice until track “Without You In My Life”, which is by the way the 7th song on the album.
“Silent Lovers” has one of the catchiest chorus’ on the record, but it’s with “Black Heart” that we get one of the biggest surprises. This song which yearns back to classic rock n’roll, remember when everyone was having a good time and you turned up for the music? Dante actually sounds like Layne Staley circa 1990 on this song and if the band so choose this would be a killer track to play live.
“Tragic Heroes”, needs no introduction with the amount of rock stars we have lost in the past 18 months, the song is a real throwback to the late 70’s early 80’s and like the track opener really puts a smile on your face. “Go To Hell” sounds like it came out of a whiskey bottle en route from a whore’s thighs, it’s simply delicious, yes I’m weird. The album comes to a close with the piano led ballad “Boy Who Fooled the World”, which will instantly strike a chord with anyone that remembers the pre you tube days where you would sit in your bedroom with your cassette tape, tune the radio in and get ready to record the top 40 charts. By the end of the album you personally want to thank the band, it’s a throwback to classic rock n ‘roll without the need to revel in nostalgia, that’s never needed when GUN sound this fresh and this excited. And in these times Favourite Pleasures really is indeed needed. It’s GUN’s best album in 25 years.
Favourite Pleasures will be released on September 15th.
You can visit GUN’s official site and pre order the album here:
http://gunofficial.co.uk/
