Night
Gaunts, being a ska/punk/rap band from New Zealand,
started in May 2010 and have 3 studio albums behind their name to date. Their
previous LP, Full Body Tourettes [Pt
2], was a revelation in my musical repertoire, and from then I've been
anxiously awaiting their new effort.
Life,
Love and the Devil, being a 6 song EP takes one on a
musical journey. Not necessarily indicating a huge variance in style, but
delivers a great selection in unique sounds. Neither rap nor weird-synth-sounds
nor long dramatic ‘samples’ usually impress me, but I am now fully addicted to
their style. Night Gaunts brings a
lot of new elements to the table, and I’ll from now on use any such band as
reference to the original source.
The EP itself delivers a unique next chapter. In 26
minutes it’s as if they redefine themselves. The vocals and style is familiar,
yet more matured lyrics with a positive, enriching message. Mosquitoes being the opening
track, starts off with the vocal sample saying “Wait, wait, wait, let me cut
this shit, it’s a nice day, fuck sitting here and writing, I’m going for a
walk”. The intro track affirms that one is dealing with an enigma of a band.
The closing track Money, Money,
Money is a melodic fuck-you to the record companies.
I feel the second track Ill Informed deserves academic attention to put it lightly. It
presents an array of unique sounds, with a solid rap over it. With intelligible
lyrics being spewed over a familiar sounding synth, Night Gaunts have come to
invent and perfect a new genre.