Gengahr’s debut album A Dream Outside turns 10 this June. To celebrate, they’re heading out on tour – bringing their dreamy indie sound to grassroots venues up and down the country. They’re returning to rooms they played as a young band as well as visiting newer spaces. Supported by Alice Costelloe, the quartet take to Future Yard’s stage for the first time.
Gengahr’s set begins at around 9:30 and they play their first record in full. A Dream Outside is thirty-six minutes of classic 2010s alt-pop, crammed with hazy guitars and catchy hooks. Add the echoing falsetto of frontman Felix Bushe (lead vocals, guitar) and you’ve got yourself a real indie gem.
The album title says it all, really. It’s pretty much the perfect way to describe early Gengahr’s shimmering, sun-kissed soundscape.
It’s undoubtedly a strong debut, housing a number of fan favourites – including the somewhat spooky ‘Bathed In Light’ and the dizzying heights of ‘Embers’.
Personally, I have two standout tracks in mind. One is obviously ‘She’s A Witch’ – I think this is one of my favourites off the album, with its driving drums, skippy rhythm and bright guitar tones. Bushe’s soothing vocals are offset by frankly unsettling lyrics, and it’s just brilliant. Euphoria and unease in equal measure.
The other is ‘Dark Star’: a glittering, spacey instrumental that takes centre stage. It’s been a long time since I listened to this, and I was reminded tonight of just how much I love it. The rhythm section pulls off an absolute masterclass – it’s so, so good.
Reaching the end of their playthrough, Gengahr finish with ‘Trampoline’ before introducing a track we haven’t heard in a while. It’s the aptly named ‘Haunter’, taken from the deluxe version of A Dream Outside.
Gengahr’s actual closing statement is ‘Heavenly Maybe’, the undisputed star of their 2020 LP Sanctuary. It is – and this is absolutely objective – one of the best tracks ever. Argue with the wall.
Warm, groovy and completely addictive, this is a track that has everyone in the room on their feet. I’ve waited a long time to hear ‘Heavenly Maybe’ live, and it was just unreal. The perfect finale.
As a side point, Sanctuary is a great album – once you learn that Jack Steadman (you know, the Bombay Bicycle Club legend) helped produce it, everything starts to make sense.
All in all, I’m really looking forward to seeing Gengahr again. I’d love to hear newer tracks like ‘A Ladder’, ‘In The Moment’ and ‘Atlas Please’ live.
Another conclusion is that hindsight really is a wonderful thing. A Dream Outside was the perfect set-up for future Gengahr. You can hear their evolution – much like their Pokémon namesake, Gengahr’s sound has become increasingly difficult to pin down.
They’re an entirely different band from the group of school friends that wrote A Dream Outside a decade ago, but you can see how much their debut means to them – and I’m so happy that they’re giving it the celebration it deserves.
Review by: Ayla Hewitt
Images credit: Ayla Hewitt
Follow Ayla on Insta: @aylagoestogigs @aylaratesalbums
