Released: January 13
Gaz Coombes celebrates his 10th year as a solo artist with his superb new LP ‘Turn The Car Around’.
On the back of Supergrass’ 2022 reunion, the musician returns with a stellar collection that taps into the sonic palettes and lyrical themes of its predecessors, marking the third and final part of a trilogy alongside 2015’s ‘Matador’ and 2018 follow-up ‘World’s Strongest Man’.
It also introduces new flavours, with the musician explaining: “There’s a lot of subject matter in there that I’ve played with and maybe not managed to see through in the past. I’ve evolved.”
Starting with sparse piano on Overnight Trains, the opening number builds into a full band extravaganza that showcases Gaz’s on-point vocals and songwriting prowess.
Calling the album “a record that I’ve been building up to for the last seven years,” the musician lauds the LP as a project that “captures the ups and downs of modern life and all the small print in between”.
In part, that’s centred on the singer-songwriter himself, with cuts such as Don’t Say It’s Over recalling his first meeting with his future wife, while Long Live The Strange taps into themes of acceptance and diversity which have dominated the cultural discussion over recent years.
Sonically, the album segues between the all-out rock and roll that we’ve become accustomed to, to more intimate, organic numbers, such as Not The Only Things, which builds to a rousing crescendo.
Meanwhile, pre-release song Sonny The Strong is a testament to Gaz’s creativity, delivering a semi-fictionalised story about a British boxer in post-World War II Britain, inspired by the life and career of world champion Randy Turpin.
Closing out the set, Dance On is a mid-tempo number that once again invites listeners to get up close and personal with the hitmaker, placing his vocals at the fore and marking a subtle end to his latest body of work.
Although a modest nine tracks, ‘Turn The Car Around’ is a fine collection of neatly crafted numbers that showcase Gaz’s fine musicianship and in rounding out the latest phase of his solo career in style, lays a path for a prosperous future going forward.
‘Turn The Car Around’ is available now.
