Bricks and Blackouts by Gaunt
by Lana Fleischli
What happens to a band when it’s over? For some, they have been remembered and appreciated. For other bands, they milk it and do “last tours” again and again (nothing wrong with that. Make your bank!) But what about the bands that weren’t HUGE? Are they just forgotten?
So, if you haven’t heard of them, let me introduce you to Gaunt. Lead singer, Jerry Wick was tragically killed by being hit by a truck while riding his bike home from work. After that, the band as it was was over. It’s not a sweet story with a happy ending. The only reason I’ve heard of them was because my mom worked with them and still loves every single album.
I could’ve listened to any of the albums. I still want to listen to Kryptonite because apparently it’s just about Superman--that’s it. I really like that idea in general when a band does things like that, like the Pixies’ “Tony’s Theme”. I just really like that stuff. However, I chose Bricks and Blackouts to listen to. There wasn’t really any thought behind it. My mom said that every album was good, so why not?!
The second I started listening to the album I immediately got the whole late-90’s vibe. It reminded me of Descendents and a little bit of Teenage Fanclub. “97th Tear” was probably my favorite song on the album, but I’ve heard that the second song on any album is supposed to be the song. Like on Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols, I said that “Bodies” was my favorite song on that album, and apparently, it’s known as the best song on the album, which is why the band put it as the second song.
The title song, “Bricks and Blackouts” is a stand-out song. It’s slower, and very pretty. The piano is playing high notes, which contrasts Wick’s low voice. It’s a very noticeable and special part of the song that I don’t notice often. Also, it’s in the middle of the album, which to me, is like taking a pause from the faster, upbeat feeling of the rest of the album, then going right back to it after with “Pop Song”.
I really enjoyed this album. It flowed really well, and (even though I can feel all English teachers cringing when I say,) it was fun! (Yes, I know the word “fun” is over-used and redundant, but it fits!)
This is the album that you can play on a drive in the morning to hype yourself up. It’s the album you play when you have dance parties in your bedroom, kitchen, living room, etc. It’s the album you play when you need to take some time for yourself. It’s a really enjoyable piece of art.
So, going back to the beginning, I posed the question, “What happens to a band when it’s over?” Obviously, anything could happen, but if the end was an end that came too soon, it’s just a sad story. Hopefully, the band is still appreciated and can live on. That’s why I wanted to share this album with all of you, because whether you like it or not, whether you listen to it or not, you can hear the story. Hopefully, you’ll be inspired to go a little deeper with music, which is something I am always working on.