Review Summary: Entertaining music with its missteps
The 1990s were a very busy time period for JG Thirlwell. By this point in time, JG made a very big name for himself within the American underground music scene: his works as a producer proved exactly how good of an ear for music he has, and his remix work for artists such as Megadeth and Nine Inch Nails caught the attention of major label Sony Music, who would later sign Thirlwell for the release of his sixth full-length
Foetus record,
Gash.
When compared to previous Foetus albums,
Gash has a really sleazy, big-band jazz tone that’s very much present throughout most of the record. This is a big plus for the album because it uses its jazz tendencies to its advantage. There’s even a full-on jam section during the later section of the record, titled “Slung”. The drums roll in a very smooth fashion, the bass bubbles with a bounce, and there’s even a guitar solo during the mid-point! What makes this track so impressive is the fact that it’s all composed of loops and samples, but at no point does it sound mechanical or computerized. The whole track has a very natural and organic tone to it, making it all the more fun to listen to. This big-band influence can also be heard on other tracks of the album, such as “Mighty Whitey”, were a blistering industrialized beat is smelted with a surprisingly intense horn section, ultimately resulting in a song that wouldn’t be out of place in an action flick.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, “Mortgage” is one of the most unsettling tracks on the entire record. The way Thirlwell moans with absolutely no passion in his voice is very unnerving, and lyrics such as
“It’s so easy to topple from this life on the thread/And you say why bother” makes for a bleak way to introduce you to the album. The track opens the album with a strange, somewhat mesmerizing loop that sounds like radio waves ringing in your skull. This loop is built upon in a beautiful way; the way the drums and synthesizers layer the opening loop is nothing short of breathtaking. This all builds up to an eerie conclusion, fit with harmonizing synths and unworldly moaning.
The biggest flaw with this record, however, is the amount of bland songs it contains. It seems as if for every great track, there is a bad one. These bad tracks can range from boring (“They Are Not So True”) to cheesy (“Steal Your Life Away”) to downright crappy (“Downfall”). At times it feels as if tracks like the ones mentioned only exist just to pad the album out. However, the album still has its fair share of good material to keep your interest, start to end.
Gash is sort of a mixed bag when compared to previous Foetus releases. While it does contain some quality material, its amount of useless tracks keep your interests in repeated listens low. It’s definitely a solid listen, but it’s not something that anyone new to Thirlwells work should listen to first.
