Gasoline Thrill, a predominantly female band comprises of Samara Kain (vocals/guitar), Marf Lewis (guitar), Monica Nix (bass) and Dave Guy (drums).
Formed by Samara and having previously recorded under the name of Catfight, Gasoline Thrill is a raw, edgy band with an appetite for sharp and fast riffs. Their latest album ‘Burn’ is packed with raunchy rock’n’roll numbers, played feverishly under bawdy vocals. This 13 track album is definitely versatile, with more ubiquitous tracks such as, ‘Break’, ‘Leeches’ and ‘Never Go Back’ entailing punky guitar riffs, mixed with tight drums, and less heavy songs like the haunting ‘Kill me again’ or tracks like ‘Hayleen’; which are filled with raw emotion. The music sounds a lot like The Distillers crossed with The Runaways. Imagine if Kurt Cobain had been born a girl and you’re somewhere along the right lines of Gasoline Thrill. Their sound matches their ballsy, but articulate demeanour; the album isn’t short of songs that will get your heart thumping. The album opens with ‘Afraid’ - consisting of throaty vocals, backed by bulky guitar work. With its almost anthemic chorus, this is a track that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Next is ‘Break’ - a more frantic and old school punk track that builds up into a big climax. ‘Break’ is closely followed by ‘Burn The Flame’, which is the first of the softer songs on the album, beginning with just an acoustic and Samara’s voice, it ascends into a very emotional, almost pleading song, and although instrumentally sounds quite simple and clean, that’s what makes it all the more thrilling. It contains a wonderful dream-like guitar solo about half way through, which is in good keeping with the ethos of the song. Taking the pace back up, Track 4 - ‘Enemy’ brings back that raw punchy sound, as does ‘Hayleen’ which also has an element of melancholy to it. ‘Kill Me Again’ is the next track which begins with a slower tempo, building up to a crescendo at each chorus within which are shimmering drum beats, lingering vocals and quite a refined guitar hook. ‘Kill Me Again’ is followed by ‘Leeches’, ‘Let Me Down’ then ‘Never Go Back’ all typical of the strong and heavy riffs we have come to expect from Gasoline Thrill by now. Track 10 ‘Singing’ is one of the catchiest on the album, with its simple chorus and pure guitars; it’s not only easy on the ear, but quite uplifting, and definitely will be one of the ones stuck in your head for weeks to come. One of the stand out tracks for me is ‘So Be It’ which is a more mellow, lurching route into a punchy chorus proclaiming “I hate your guts, I hate your lies!” Another, is the penultimate one - ‘Walking On Steel’ which begins with warm vibrations that build up to a rich full climax. Samara’s sultry tones really shine through in this one. Finally, closing the album is ‘The Pill’ starting just as abruptly as it ends this track really shows you what the album is made of. Rich and full, it showcases how tight the instruments are, and just how fierce these girls (and guy!) are. ‘Burn’ is overall a raunchy, lustful album produced by girls with swagger that Gwen Stefani wishes she could reproduce.
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AuthorAll articles are © Michelle Nevill Archives
July 2014
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