Dead Gaze - Brain Holiday

Despite turning into a full-blown five piece since its birth in 2009, Mississippi’s Dead Gaze would never be where it is without frontman Cole Furlow. Unhappy with staying still, Furlow’s taken Dead Gaze to regular jamming and recording spots in pastoral cottages, college halls and his own home, which he calls the ‘Dude Ranch.’ ‘Brain Holiday’ is the result of those multiple excursions; its name reflecting the fuzzy memories of a groggy jam session that followed a massive piss up.

As the background suggests, Dead Gaze’s debut is the sound of five guys just having fun; their party soundtracked by West Coast grunge, slacker garage, and party anthems. ‘Yuppies are Flowers,’ the album’s fiery opening track, ignites it all. It disguises itself as a cover of Pat Benatar’s ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’ before unleashing a barrage of Wavves-ish distortion. Further on, ‘Rowdy Jungle’ adds a sludgy new take on Pixies’ ‘Where is My Mind,’ and that slacker vibe is held at its highest during the entire four-minutes of ‘You’ll Carry on Real Nice.’

Furlow takes some pointers from his British cousins too as ‘Runnin’ on the Moon’s crunchy guitars borrow from ‘Beautiful Era’ Primal Scream, whilst the brutish ‘A Different Way’ pays clear homage to early PJ Harvey.

Perhaps the biggest criticism about ‘Brain Holiday’ is that it does become a bit of a yawn towards the end. The brisk pianos of ‘Breathing Creatures’ and the dream-inducing lulls of ‘Stay, Don’t Say’ lack the same kick as the rest of the album. By the time the Chairlift-ish ‘Possible Embrace’ comes in, it all feels like an anti-climax rather than a memorable end.

That’s only a minor consistency though when these five chaps have made an album as enthralling as this one. Never let this party stop.