Scottish rockers Gun released their ninth album, titled Hombres, in April.
Admittedly I hadn’t listened to much of their back catalogue but I’ve seen a lot of praise so I was excited to give the record a listen.
All Fired Up kicks the album off with a funky riff and some gang vocals. The vocal delivery is catchy and the chorus sounds like a rockier version of Set It Off with the repetitive “you’ve got me all fired up” reminiscent of the choruses of early SIO in the vocal delivery.
Boys Don’t Cry picks right up with catchy riffs and a chorus that’s been stuck in my head for an entire day after listening.
Falling is described as a ‘colossal earworm’ and at first it’s deceptive, being a more mellow, ballad-style track. But then it builds in intensity and the statement is completely accurate. I can imagine it will be a great track live with easy crowd participation with the “I am falling, falling” lines. In fact I kept catching myself singing it randomly throughout the days after listening to the album.
You Are What I Need is another ballad and has some very heartfelt lyrics that anyone can relate to with their loved ones. At times it reminds me of an 80s rock power ballad and I absolutely love it. The lyrics talk about how much someone special makes everything better and the repetitive ‘you are what I need’ works well.
A Shift in Time’s acoustic sound works well. It really allows the lyrics to shine through, talking about times being hard and how we might fall. It is definitely my favourite on the album as it is relatable but also uplifting with the chorus about watching the world shift out of frame and trying again somehow.
The album is full of catchy choruses, slick riffs and a nice, steady rhythm section that fits in well. One thing I absolutely love is Gun’s ability to create an absolutely insane chorus for literally every song.
I’ve got to give it to Gun, many bands end up getting quite stale when they get further into their careers, riding on the sound that made them popular in the first place. But after listening to and enjoying Hombres, I went back and listened to their previous eight records and whilst they clearly have a set style (which I enjoyed), there’s always some form of progression and it makes it refreshing.
If you’re a fan of any kind of rock music, check out Hombres (and the rest of Gun’s back catalogue).