THE SOLARNITES’ LATEST SINGLE ‘GOBSTOPPER’ FUSES RIFFS WITH RELATABILITY

SINGLE REVIEW | THE SOLARNITES – GOBSTOPPER by Morgan Hermiston

Carrying on an already successful year for singles, Norwich based quartet The Solarnites have released latest track ‘Gobstopper‘. The four-piece have spent the last couple of years curating a sound that is distinct to them, making them stand apart from other upcoming groups.

Fusing together memorable elements of musical styles including garage rock and iridescent indie, The Solarnites have created ‘Gobstopper’. This track is a product of persistently pursuing their own identity as a band. Following on from February release, ‘I Do All of My Own Stunts‘, The Solarnites continue their immersive style. This individualistic approach is built on a foundation of foot tapping tempos and gritty guitar work.

If you’ve ever been to a party or social gathering but secretly wished you hadn’t gone, this song captures that essence perfectly. ‘Gobstopper‘ takes on a conversational style of songwriting. This is merged with the contrasting concept of it being a song that could soundtrack such events or interactions. Frontman and rhythm guitarist, Danny Collinson, vocalises poignant penmanship with lyrics like, “all nervous mistakes, I’ll make them all tonight“. This is followed by the line, “they’ll add up like the words I can’t spit out“.

Later on, “for crying out loud, just for once, could I just be myself,” is heard, a plead to be accepted even in an unfamiliar or uncomfortable situation. These all too familiar sentiments are met with an uplifting and meticulously formed foundation of Sam Dutton‘s drumming, and bass playing from Jesus Duque-Golding. Repetitive riffs are performed by Mark Waters, and this combination of talent has resulted in the gritty feeling of ‘Gobstopper‘.

The Solarnites described this track as being made for the “quietly chaotic” and this is a perfect summary. ‘Gobstopper‘ somehow allows listeners to feel more extroverted, but from the comfort of their headphones. It is a great track that you won’t be able to listen to just once.