Labels: Poison City Records
Review by: MH
If you ever wondered what Arrows were referring to in their song, “What Happens At A Gifthorse Show”, wonder no more. The Gifthorse are a Brisbane band who were around between 2006 and 2010, then split up and have got back together in the last year or so playing a number of shows and now releasing a new album. They play the kind of melodic punk rock that I have plenty of time for and have become something of a go-to band for me when I want to listen to this kind of music. The rhythm section is heftily driven – drums often pounding. The addition of a new guitarist has bolstered their sound too. You can tell they like a lot of 90s bands like Jawbreaker and Samiam and the lyrics are often disillusioned and wistful with talk of wasted years and working your way through the struggles of life. Easy to identify with. Shane Collins’ vocals are a little lower in the mix than on their last records but it gives the songs more of a live feel. My favourite songs here are the coupling of “Burn The Midnight Oil”, which is a great example of just how driven this band can be, and the title track, with its internal struggles. While it may seem short at nine tracks long, the end result is no filler.
It’s good to have this band back. Not that I knew of them until long after they’d first split up as I only discovered them on hearing of their comeback and had always presumed the Gifthorse in Arrows’ song title was some abstract exhibition show or something although I had never thought too hard about it. If you like this, it’s worth delving into their back catalogue too, especially their “From The Floor Up” EP.