Gurriers new album, Nobody’s Coming To Save You, pushes the boundary between rock and punk, while also handling important current political issues including war, injustice, and loss of hope. It has a deeply rock musical sound that is pushed by punk vocals and themes.
“Nobody’s Coming To Save You” is the first track on the album, and it centers around the idea of self-savior. It features a catchy guitar riff in the pre-chorus, emotional vocals, all while the pace of the track ebbs and flows. The verses are mild, the choruses are loud, and the bridge is a perfect mix of both with a slow start and an intense end.
The second track, “Party Lines,” introduces a danceable backtrack with punk vocals and a deep message. It’s uniquely an anti-war song that is upbeat. “Party Lines” points out the current political power imbalance amongst countries like the United States in the ending lines “we are/decline of man,” and the injustice of war in the verses.
“Pins” provides a sonic contrast to “Party Lines,” as it slows down the tempo and vocals of the album. It also takes on a more personal feel, being the first track to depart from politics. However, this slower tempo doesn’t last for long when “Today Is Not Enough” begins. Gurriers signature punk style vocals kick back in, accompanied by a heavily reverbed guitar, ripping bass, and sharp drums.
This signature sound is pushed even further on “Nothing Happens Twice.” The chorus is “nothing ever happens here/nothing happened twice” repeated over and over in angry vocals. Meanwhile, the guitar is simple and loud, and the bass of the song picks up to fill the track with its booming sound.
The album is cynical in nature but underlined with hope. Nobody’s Coming To Save You is able to show that people do still care and are willing to fight to change, yet still criticizes what is going on in the world. The lyrics “as the world feels rough around the edges/the hope I see in you makes it easier to breathe” represent the album perfectly. The heavy rock sound accompanied by the altruistic themes have the possibility to create a dark combination, but Gurriers comes out of this with an album that is able to inspire change in those who truly listen to Nobody’s Coming To Save You.
By Alexys Hadaway