I don’t know if it was my German roots that somehow cosmically drew me towards this band but whatever it was that did, I’m glad it happened. Giant Rooks’ debut album ‘Rookery’ is the physical embodiment of the phrase ‘started with a bang’. This album consists of twelve songs all of which are, for lack of a more elegant term, bangers.
I thought the decision to name the album ‘Rookery’ was interesting and poetic in its own way, especially after having listened to it in full – it alludes to a sense of growth and community and that’s what I think this band is all about and is underlying in all of their songs. I get the feeling throughout this entire album that it is truly a BAND; drawn together by loving what they do which is apparently making ridiculously catchy music.
Right from the offset you can tell their sound is big and enveloping, I imagine anyone that had listened to previous singles and EPs of theirs would’ve gotten this impression as well, but their first song ‘The Birth of Worlds’ is BIG. With masterful use of a synthesizer, atmospheric tones, thundering drums and excellent vocals, this one hooks you. Leading straight into their songs ‘Watershed’ and ‘Heat Up’, the transition is made with beautifully echoing vocals that stay consistent throughout and an instrumental build that plays out in yet another set of catchy songs. A personal favorite of mine, ‘Very Soon You’ll See’ leads in with a great bassline and interesting percussion, with vocals that remind me of Jungle’s sweeping layered vocals; this is a song I want to bop along a busy road to feeling completely unaware of myself (appropriately geared with a mask on). This is a well-produced album, there’s no two ways about it.
Clever as they are, they put what I’d call a musical palette cleanser in with the song ‘Rainfalls’. This is an atmospheric song, reminding me of M83 and transporting me back to staring out of windows of a bus on my way back from school. As dorky as that may sound, I love that sensation, and this song while arguably more experimental than their first few, doesn’t lose the Giant Rooks sound we all love.
The second half of the album with songs like ‘Misinterpretations’, ‘What I Know is All Quicksand’ and ‘All We Are’, deals with melancholy topics with the kind of energy that only a group of young guys can; that youthfulness is carried through in their music and it’s undeniable that every single member of the band knows what they are doing. From the excellent sweeping vocals in ‘Misinterpretations’, to the synths in ‘What I Know is All Quicksand’, to the drums in ‘Silence’, to the guitar in ‘Head by Head’, to the piano in ‘All We Are’ and the list goes on and on, these guys are GOOD. Special mention from me goes to ‘Wild Stare’; this was the first song of theirs I ever heard and I think it perfectly embodies how damn catchy their music was and continues to be.
And to finish it off we have the grand finale ‘Into Your Arms’. This song is the culmination of all of the elements that they employed throughout the rest of their album. Saying it that way could make it sound overly produced, or messy or loud, but it’s none of those things. All of the band members come together to showcase their talents in this last one and it was a great way to leave us waiting for the next album.
This album is worth your time and I can pretty assuredly say that when we ever get to hear them live again, you should get your tickets because this band was made to be experienced live.
- Chloe Boehm
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