LA-based trio The Gloss tout an instantly accessible art-rock sound that sits at an interesting intersection; they combine the sleek punchy garage-rock of The Strokes with the trashy drugged-out glam touch of Suede’s Dog Man Star era. Dark jangle-pop collides with tight garage-rock for refreshing results on “Words”, a track nicely representative of what makes The Gloss’ sound so striking. The vocals sound like the lovechild of Julian Casablancas and Robert Smith, complemented by an assortment of sharp guitar leads and reverberating background jangles. The chorus, with a bustling bass reflecting tinny guitar chords, sounds like a vintage New Order hook — before switching back to the fun Strokes-esque verses. An older track released six months ago, “The City”, shows more promise from the group with its jaunty keyboard-guitar fusion, but there’s no doubting that “Words” is their most polished and engaging effort yet.
Great music !