You know my opinion can't be neutral. When Gabrielles Wish split in 2003 and the web was left without a site dedicated to them, I just created a fan site. When they discovered it they asked it to become official and since they've reformed last year I'm so proud and happy to do their site... but I have my reasons to be such a fan, having discovered them when they supported New Order for their reunion show in Manchester in 1998 (being on the label of their manager, produced by their former sound engineer), I was totally blown away.
They'd have been perfect in the Factory Records of the early 80s, but they do their music in their own style, mixing the Joy Division influence and the vocals attitude inspired by The Fall's Mark E Smith with a contemporary edge, also experimenting with electronica.
What isn't contemporary about them is their passion, their intensity, the devastating power of their sound married with the touching sensitivity of the melody. You didn't get other bands like this in the 90s, and they just reminded us what music could make feel.
All is confirmed in this EP, the first to be released since they reformed last year and played some fantastic concerts of which I'm really lucky to have the recordings.
During these gigs they played some new fabulous songs which will make the next album, but while we wait for its release we have these three on Here From The Neck Down, and you can sample all of them on the official site, from two MP3 files and even a video.
Member comes all heavy and powerful with an epic guitar tune and an extraordinary chorus where the charismatic frontman Rob Corless shouts 'I will never - hate you! I will never - leave you! I will always - love you!', simple, ironic and effective.
Sherman is a storming number, noisy and fast like only the Pixies could do in their most glorious days. It has an evil atmosphere when Rob says 'I'm only here from the neck down' before the noise and rhythm explode again blowing you away in a furious punk ending.
Had An Accident (of which you can download the video, a wonderful clip created by Chesy, a member of another Manchester band, My Computer) brings finally some calm with a touching semi-acoustic ballad enricherd by a beautiful harp, something unusual from this tough band.
If you don't believe my words check the samples on the site, and then if you like them you can buy the EP from Piccadilly Records.
No other band is like them, and we'd need more with half of their attitude and talent. They'd deserve a much wider following than the bands which are currently promoted by the press, which just look so pale and weak when compared to Gabrielles Wish, simply the best band emerged in the last 15 years.
