Gentle Friendly – Ride Slow

Gentle Friendly are possibly the best example of musical trial and error, with members David Morris and Daniel Boyle having played in a plethora of bands before settling into their musical niche of experimental electronica. They produce a weird mix of noise, mashing together an invasive drumbeat and some obscure field recordings for a sound that has been described as ‘kaleidoscopic claustrophobia’, whatever that may be…

Their latest musical offering comes in the form of teasingly short 34 minute Ride Slow. It is comprised of short nuggets of eclectic beats that though no doubt could hold their own in a singles battle, but are best listened to as a collective force. Each song is intrinsically different, whilst managing to retain the common Gentle Friendly thread of raw energy throughout. The album has a myriad of palpable influences, the most apparent (and commonly referenced) is Animal Collective, and granted, both ‘Clean Braker’ and ‘Real Fighters’ do sound like a raw live version of Animal Collective’s later releases. Yet there are much more subtle influences driving through Ride Slow.

The lackadaisical vocals of David are all too faraway and evocative to deny their similarity Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle, and on occasion slip into Final Fantasy ‘This Lamb Sells Condos’-esque monotone rhythm, most obviously so in ‘Rip Static’. This is mirrored in the constant regimented drumbeat that is often reminiscent of a marching band.

The electronic undercurrents of the album are not dissimilar to the frenzied PlayRadioPlay!, yet are significantly more well produced and thoughtfully crafted. It creates a nostalgia that transports you back to Christmases huddled round the commodore, yet unlike most bands that rely on this reference to early computer game synths, the Gentle Friendly offer an altogether more advanced evolution of this trait. The opening track, ‘No Infinity On’ lures you into the album, sounding suspiciously like a Zelda soundtrack without overtly relying upon synthesizers, and maintains this subtlety throughout the album.

They manage to pull off their raw sound with a polished edge, which is fundamentally unfathomable, and they have a basement-recording quality that one can’t help but think they inject in on purpose. With the rumour being they are saving the best till last and are holding back their best tracks for later release, these boys sure better be confident that they can top the great mesh of noise they have weaved together in Ride Slow.

Buy the album from Amazon