ALBUM REVIEW: Crayon Sun – Gloop

Noise rock is a genre that can be deceptively hard to get right. Of course, presumably anyone can make ‘noise’, but finding coherence within the chaos takes far more skill. Baltimore-based trio GLOOP do just that. Forming in 2016, they quickly set about proving their noisy credentials with 2017’s The Tourist and 2019’s Smiling Lines. Crayon Sun is their third full-length album, and sees them take their self-described “weirdo noise rock” to fresh, darker depths. It’s their longest record so far, but still by no means a slog, razoring through 12 tracks in just a touch over half an hour.

GLOOP walk a fine, interesting line throughout Crayon Sun – a sort of oxymoronic ‘tight looseness’ perhaps. On one hand, there’s a real rough and ready live feel here, with an untethered chaoticism typical to the genre. At the same time though, there is still a clear sense of structure, and the wheels never fully come off, even if they can feel pretty close to doing so. Everything on this record moves along at a solid pace, driven on by an urgent and energetic rhythm section. On top of this, open-tuned guitars lend things a constant manic intensity, with bursts of noise and dissonant riffing aplenty.

If there is one figure that demands our attention on Crayon Sun, it’s the band’s vocalist and guitarist Dominic Gianninoto. As a vocalist, Gianninoto makes for a forcefully weird and wild performer with a fair few tools in his arsenal. His vocals can sit quite low in the mix at points, but his unhinged charisma still shines through consistently. Tracks like I Am and Bugs show him at his most frenetic – a rabid preacher presiding over a congregation of noise. Ninth track You’re Home is one of his best, evoking the irreverent mania of DAUGHTERS‘ Alexis Marshall in particular. The song as a whole makes for an overall high on the record, with the band leaning into an obtusively grinding dissonance.

You’re Home isn’t the only song that stands out on this record. Third track Old Man Flower is another obvious choice. This one’s an early highlight, with the trio locking in on a relatively simple stompy riff only to be repeatedly and rudely interrupted by angular stop-starts and tempo changes. The album’s title track is similarly strong. It musters some particularly hefty swagger, again much of this built around a single repeated riff. The quality remains high until the very end too, with closer A Hole In The Nest wrapping things up in a final burst of raving punk rock energy.

It’s worth acknowledging that Crayon Sun isn’t exactly the most boundary pushing take on the noise rock genre. There’s plenty of precedent for what GLOOP do on this album, particularly from bands like THE JESUS LIZARD and MCLUSKY. That doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a well-executed and exciting record though. Its 30-minute runtime is a perfect length, ensuring it never gets bogged down in its weirdness or its intensity. Instead, it does what all records of this ilk should do: get in, make a hell of a racket, and get out before listeners have worked out what’s hit them.

Pretty much by requirement, noise rock has occupied an interesting niche of alternative music since its birth in the 1980s. The genre’s emphasis on antagonism and experimentation has meant it was never going to be for everyone, and this is no exception. That said, the scene is in pretty great health at the moment, with bands like USA NAILS, METZ and THROAT all carrying the torch for the genre today. With Crayon Sun, GLOOP prove they’re up there with the best of them. This is a gripping, frenzied offering, and should make a welcome addition to any noise rock fan’s record collection.

Rating: 8/10

Crayon Sun is set for release on August 20th via Grimoire Records.

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