The Gooms are a West Coast garage rock band based in Los Angeles California. The band consists of lead singers and guitarists Chase Buttons and Nicole Rae, bassist Ryan Meagher, and drummer Shane Lawrence. Their new album “Laugh.”, which drops on Sunday, Sept. 6, is the perfect album to listen to this fall.
The band describes its sound as “edgy and melodic, [the] sound derives from a die-hard love of surf, punk, jazz, and all that lies in between.” That mix of sounds makes this album incredibly versatile, which means anyone can find a song they love.
The versatility of the album was the thing I noticed on my first listen through of it. Each song is very different, but the album still feels cohesive. There are slower songs, like “Bones to Dust” and “Part II” that are great for night time drives or a walk in an open field. There are also more upbeat songs like “T.M.P.” and “One With Everything” that would be great to listen to with friends and jam out to. There are also just songs that have a completely different and unique sound like “Elvis Pelvis."
I enjoyed listening to the mix of vocals throughout the album. Some of the songs were more heavy on female vocals, which is not very common in this specific genre. The song “This Can’t Be Nothing” has prominently female vocals, along with “One With Everything." The blend of vocals between Rae and Buttons adds to the band’s originality in the rock scene, and diverse music is something we should all seek out a little more.
My overall favorite song was “Part II." It has a softer almost bedroom-pop sound, which is closest to what I listen to normally. It is slow and smooth as velvet. This song is easy on the ears and it’s great to listen to in your room at night. I can see this song being played at the credits of a great movie. It feels like one of those moments where you just have to sit and feel things, and I think that’s why I love it so much.
“Laugh.” features two singles, one of which being “I’m Judy Garland." This song is a nice slow break from the heavier beginning songs. The soothing guitar and melody makes you want to sway right along with the music. This seems like a song you would hear during a sad part in an indie movie, powerful and emotional. This song is easily one of my favorites on the album.
The second single on the album is “Free Sweaters? Fantastic!”. This song is like a polar opposite to “I’m Judy Garland." It is upbeat and jumpy, it makes you want to get up, get on your feet, and jam along with it. There are louder vocals, heavier drums, and overall a higher energy. Its nostalgic sound makes this a great song to rock out to with friends or play at a party.
The band released a video for the first song on the album, “God’s Target,“ on July 21. The video is animated, but also holds real family pictures and realistic elements. This is a video that has to be watched before being explained. Without spoiling too much, the video deals with challenges in a girl’s life and her navigating through them. The video was directed and animated by Mallory Pittman. I thoroughly enjoyed the video overall. It follows the song very well, as a music video is meant to do. The video also features a unique art style that fits the overall aesthetic of the group.
“Laugh.” by The Gooms is the summer album we need this year. A fun, emotional break that temporarily lets us forget the world. It is definitely an album that will be added to many of my playlists from here on out. “Laugh.” is available on Apple Music and Spotify starting Sunday Sept. 6, and the video for “God’s Target" can be found on YouTube. To see more of The Gooms, visit thegooms.bandcamp.com.
