Review: GUM at Freo.Social

GUM at Freo.Social
w/ Lyndon Blue, Erasers
Friday, September 8, 2023

While Tame Impala have reached global superstar status and the Impala-adjacent POND are a Perth cornerstone, the talent of shared member Jay Watson should not be forgotten. A talented multi-instrumentalist and genre-hopper, Watson’s project GUM is a must-hear for any Tame Impala fan and on Friday night he set out to show why, performing a set of tight genre-hopping explorations to a welcoming Fremantle crowd.

The selection of openers in Erasers and Lyndon Blue were a treat for the night. Both skirted familiarity with GUM’s electronic and vintage synth sound, but with their own flavour to bear. Erasers are Perth veterans in their own right, capturing a brand of foreboding drone pop that is instantly recognisable. Across bare rhythm tracks, Rupert Thomas lays down stately synth riffs which wouldn’t sound out of place in a cathedral, while vocalist Rebecca Orchard sings over it in a distinctive, Celtic-tinged croon.

Opener Away From It All laid down the gauntlet with a soul-rending guitar riff underpinning Orchard’s deadened vocals – essentially doom metal in disguise. You See had a more pronounced beat while still crawling at a snail’s pace and closer Constant Connection, from their release of the same name last year, provided an epic finish. Perhaps the title is a come-on, as the track’s menace and feeling of spacious detachment is hard pressed to raise anyone’s oxytocin levels. Despite the coldness of the music, the band made a strong connection. Their 2022 Distance EP, and LP release Constant Connection, come highly recommended.

Follow-up Lyndon Blue took the cold textures of Erasers and ran with them, in a wider ranging set that was distinguished by some idiosyncratic yet beautiful lyricism. Somewhere out there, John Cale would be proud. On Treehugger the band indulged its more ambient and electronic side, and follow-up Cindy was a highlight with all the band’s trump cards on display – vivid lyrics, great songwriting and an evocative musical soundscape featuring synths, acoustic guitar and clarinet. New track Icarus recalled Radiohead, and closer Only Connect dug from the well of post punk – a dancy number with a more bass to bear. Lyndon Blue certainly intrigued, an act as deserving of a deep dive as GUM itself.

GUM came on soon after with a sound fit for a big stage. This was ebullient, wide-ranging, electronic-adjacent rock that offered something for everyone. The triumphant guitar riff of Glamorous Damage served as curtain opener and immediately took the set into high gear. Out in the World, the title track from their last LP outing in 2020, is a beautiful track which brought things down to a more languid pace with its shimmering guitar textures and delectable melody which recalls Eleanor Rigby at points.

One Day at a Time was an excellent transition, an even more laid back song whose beachy yet psychedelic vibe came alive on stage. A rollicking cover of Divinyls' Science Fiction was a surprise follow-up yet it made perfect sense as a cover, the kind of synth-rock mash-up that suited the band perfectly. It was an earnest tribute to an 80s classic and featured a massive guitar break that was one of the highlights of the set. Other peaks included the big crunching drums and slinky falsetto on the heavenly The Blue Marble, and the cheesy yet playful synth breakdowns of Low to Low.

The closer was Race to the Air, another recent single and perhaps GUM’s greatest track yet. It certainly fits the mould of a closer – with its epic vocal refrain interspersed with even more powerful drum fills, this is pure musical cinema in the vein of Tame Impala, and a great ending to a great set. Thank you GUM, and let's take a moment to check our Perth privilege to be blessed with such a talented musical fraternity who can play to global crowds but also come back home to play some intimate shows to their nearest and dearest.

MATIJA ZIVKOVIC

Photos by Adrian Thomson