[Review] Gong Wah – A Second

Gong Wah is a Fuzzwave quintet from Cologne, Germany that spans multiple genres and styles within their albums. After a good debut in 2020, they return after 1.5 years with “A Second,” released on March 25, 2022 via Tonzonen Records. Within this work the band ranges from Psychedelia to Space Rock passing through Indie Rock, with more cheerful and other melancholic tracks. The album opens with “heartache jean” an Indie-inspired track featuring good guitar and synth textures on which Inga’s enveloping vocals stand out. The drumming is solid and upbeat and the atmosphere intense and engaging. The following “the well” is characterized by a leading bass line and a rhythm that makes you want to dance. Good musical crescendo that increases the intensity with the passage of the song. “consolation” is a track with a Space Rock sound, with a rhythmic drumming and a lysergic vocal, with good mixes of guitar and synth. Here, too, the intensity increases with the passing of the minutes, evolving the plots and concluding in the second part with a musical crescendo. A darker intro opens “baby, won’t you come along” a track with more melancholy features and full of pathos with good biting electric guitar inserts. “paint my soul” has more electronic sounds, with fuzz sounds that alternate with cleaner guitar weaves, on which a sensual vocal is inserted. The longest track on the album “one fine day” with over 8 minutes in length, it mixes Space Rock traits with the more electronic traits of German music. The vocal is full of pathos and the fresh and modern track, a winning mix between electronics and the personal traits of the band with good enveloping melodies. “the violet room” is instead the shortest track, with a frenetic rhythm and a penetrating vocal effect, mixing electronic sounds again with other more Rock, with their own personal touch. They return to more Indie Rock sounds with “this life” with a supporting bass line and a more linear drumming and good guitar weaves. The vocal is intense and creates pleasant choruses, and then closes with a more experimental section in the finale. The album ends with “a head is not a home” halfway between Soul sounds and a modern Indie Rock ballad, and then in the second part developing more experimental plots. A band that continues its musical exploration path between Space sounds, Psychedeliche Fuzz with forays into electronics. A good album with tracks that go from more cheerful and engaging atmospheres to other more melancholic ones, with the vocal being an added value for the sound.

Tracklist

01. heartache jean 03:23
02. the well 02:55
03. consolation 05:05
04. baby, won’t you come along 03:23
05. paint my soul 03:31
06. one fine day 08:32
07. the violet room 02:39
08. this life 04:28
09. a head is not a home 04:11

Lineup

Inga Nelke / Vocals
Thorsten Dohle / Guitar and Synth
Felix Will / Guitar and Synth
Giso Simon / Bass
Nima Davari / Drums

Gong Wah |Bandcamp|Facebook Page|Instagram|Spotify|YouTube Channel|

Tonzonen Records |Official Website|Bandcamp|Facebook Page|Twitter|Instagram|

Author: Jacopo Vigezzi

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