Labels: Captured Tracks
Review by: Andy Malcolm
After that sweet debut LP i thought Ganglians dropped the ball pretty badly with the follow up, forgetting how to write anything resembling a tune. Fortunately they are back to form on this two tracker on the ubiquitous, some say omnipresent, Captured Tracks. “Blood on the Sand” is a stomper, all pummelling rhythm and wailing and a touch of a paranoia. The echoey production serves it well, with the thumping drumming taking center stage. Best bits are when it all sails off into waves of guitar and spookiness. Very impressed with that one. Flip for “Make It Up” which is catchy 60s garage / pop / psyche stuff. I enjoy this sort of music despite my complete lack of any useful reference points beyond the Beach Boys, but that is pretty weak in this case. This one rumbles off in several different directions, I particularly like when it settles into a hefty, repetitious groove about two thirds of the way in, with the vocals getting more insistent and everything spiralling around.
A definite return to form and hopefully a good indication of the shape of things to come from this band.