Gaggle - From The Mouth Of The Cave

Gaggle are a 21-piece female choir who since their formation in late 2008 have gained an impressive reputation with their eye catching live shows. WIth just a handful of releases to their name they are finally ready to unleash their debut long player, ‘From The Mouth Of The Cave’, on Transgressive.

There is so much creativity here with each song containing an element of intrigue. One of the most startling tracks is ‘Crows’, a Hitchcockian tale of being attacked by birds that fuses manic laughter, crying and reggae swagger to evoke a claustrophobic sense of panic. On the other end of the spectrum is the deceptively simple ‘Liar’ which almost sounds like a long lost traditional song. Eschewing obvious reference points it has the same feel as ‘Prince Charming’ by Adam Ant whilst it’s dark undertone of revenge is sweetened by puree harmonies.

Towards the end of the record we get the beautifully arranged ‘Hello Spider’, a luscious mix of swirling strings and gentle piano. Whilst the choir come together in unison there is also space for the collective’s members to showcase the breadth of their individual voices.

Occasionally they fall foul to the pitfall of trying to cram too many ideas into one song which is where the angsty shout ridden ‘Gaslight’ falls down. This is however a minor blip in an emotive musical journey rich with discovery.

‘From The Mouth Of The Cave’ is one of the most unique collection of songs you are likely to hear for a very long time from a band impossible to pigeon hole.