While this review is not meant to be an indictment on a band evolving and changing its sound, Ganglians’ Still Living is a sometimes boring and mostly uninspired effort that barely makes good on the title’s statement. And, save for a few brief moments, Still Living’s core movements are stale and bleak, a change that should come as a surprise to any fan of Ganglians’ previous efforts.
This is where personal bias and opinion comes into play. The sound I expected to hear, and the experience I wanted to have with Still Living was based upon my utmost admiration of 2009’s Monster Head Room. The spontaneous rhythms, the child-like harmonies erupting into surf guitar solos; there was an amiable and relaxed confidence on Monster Head Room, and for better or worse, Still Living takes a step in the opposite direction. It’s by no means a poor album, not by any stretch, but for the seeming glut of creativity the band once possessed, Still Living could have, and probably should have, been different.
The album’s first single, “Jungle,” stands out as Still Living’s most interesting and polished track; a mix of amazing choral harmonies and massive reverb on every string plucked. The lead guitar guides the track, drowning out the vocals and diminishing the cymbal-heavy percussion arrangements, it’s an example of the uncharacteristic approach to songwriting that had me fall in love with Ganglians to begin with, and why I’m so utterly disappointed with most of the album. The Fleet Foxes-esque choral eruptions on “Jungle,” a powerful and overwhelming signature for the band, is an under appreciated and misused talent on Still Living; a sad fate for the one aspect that sets Ganglians’ music apart.
So much of Still Living is lost to completely monotonous-sounding songs, and while they are mixed impeccably and follow a certain rhythm (at least all the boring songs are boring together, right?), it’s hard to get through the entire album in one sitting. The lyrically bankrupt “Drop The Act,” a brief call to arms, opens with “This is a sad, sad song / for all the sad, sad people.” And what follows isn’t any more pleasant. “That’s What I Want” plants itself firmly in the one-track mindedness of most of the album, a meandering guitar lead and the slow clap of a tambourine make their way throughout most of the track; a tedious listen at best.
It’s rather unfortunate that Still Living waits until its final two tracks to try and make a lasting impression, as most listeners would have given up at the six minute gauntlet known as “Bradley,” but “Faster” and “My House” almost breathe enough life into the project to make it worthwhile. “Faster” doesn’t hide its mantra, an accelerated and rock ‘n roll-driven track that is reminiscent of California’s booming garage-rock scene. “My House” sounds like a Talking Heads demo played through a really terrible sound system, vocal influx and bizarre bass loops included.
“I’m just gonna riff around now” lead singer Ryan Grubbs mumbles towards the end of “Things to Know.” It’s that very attitude that made Ganglians an exciting project to begin with, and evidenced by Monster Head Room, the band has the capacity to engage listeners in a unique experience. But unfortunately, Still Living is barely alive, a mess of common composition tropes and overwrought drama. And while the album isn’t terrible, it’s just, all things considered, incredibly disappointing.
