Gengahr — Red Sun Titans — Album Review
Alternative | Indie
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
The Hackney indie-rock band known as Gengahr were a group that I first discovered back in 2020 with their third studio album Sanctuary. Through the vibrant atmospheres brought forward by synth-heavy indie goodness, the album’s mixture of moods, and a consistently catchy tone throughout, listening to Sanctuary resulted in the album being one of my favourites of that entire musical year.
Following the release of that album, my hopes were at an all-time high for whatever Gengahr might have up their sleeves for their discography moving forward.
Between 2020 and 2023, however, there was but one single release in the form of “Under The Skin” (a fantastic single, nonetheless). But it was clear that Gengahr were keeping things on the low, in the lead up to their next album.
That radio silence was finally broken earlier this year, in the form of a handful of new tracks, teasing the coming of their fourth studio album, named Red Sun Titans.
With the title track being the final teaser before the release of the album in its entirety, I unfortunately didn’t manage to hop on to listening to that one until the full album. However, the previous two teasers, named “A Ladder” and “In The Moment”, were the two that I did listen to prior.
From these two teasers, I sensed a far more accessible direction towards the sound of Gengahr. And unfortunately, it didn’t sit too well with me. While “A Ladder” is at least a festively warm and danceable track, these two tracks served as the biggest examples of Gengahr sound more like your typical generic indie band that what I had heard before. As a result, my initial hype towards this album was quickly staled.
My expectations did turn around again, however, upon listening to the entirety of Red Sun Titans. There turned out to be quite a few tracks on this thing that bring a similar level of enjoyment to what Sanctuary did. In short, this album ended up being a mixture of tracks that felt more reminiscent of their previous album, and those that aim to be more accessible to contemporary indie lovers.
And while this may seem like a kind of “something for everyone” situation, it did still only bring a fraction of the enjoyment I personally felt from Sanctuary. Nevertheless though, Red Sun Titans in an album to be appreciated for those moments that do bring the enjoyment.
I suppose I should also factor in that the style of this album is of course very apt for a summer release, being the warm indie album that it is. On top of that, it once again brings a versatility of moods ranging from festive to chilled.
In short, while not as good as the album that came before it, Red Sun Titans did still managed to get a decent level of enjoyment from myself, despite all my desensitisation to indie music as a Brighton local. If you’re looking for that indie summer fuzz, this would still be a recommended pick.
Favourite Tracks: Alkali | Heels To The Moon | In My Way
Least Favourite Track: In The Moment
Liberator Music
