Ganging Up on the Sun

Guster sounds newly bold

After a 3 years break the talented guys from Boston have once again surprised their numerous fans with a newly sounding and bold album Ganging Up On The Sun. Guster has got a long history, its foundation dating back to early 1990s when the then students of Tufts University played in the dorm rooms. The real fame came to Guster with the release of Lost And Gone Forever in 1998 and the following Keep It Together in 2003. Soon after that the band including percussionist Brian Rosenworcel and both guitarists and singers Ryan Miller and Adam Gardner recruited a new member, Joe Pisapia, playing just a striking variety of instruments: bass, guitar, keyboard, banjo, harmonica, and also doing backup vocals. Besides, Brian Rosenworcel is called by the band’s fans The Thundergod for he is a real virtuoso combining bongos, cymbals, and other drums and playing live shows using only his bare hands. Ganging Up On The Sun gives a wonderful opportunity to enjoy Guster’s spectacular musical performance along with matured vocals and new beautiful melodies.

Ganging Up On The Sun is consistent and skillfully arranged

Unlike the band’s previous works Ganging Up On The Sun is a structured record with the most emotional songs placed in the middle being the superlative. The opening thoughtful and melancholic song Lightning Rod prepares the listeners for the following memorable and melodious track Satellite and the album’s first single philosophical Manifest Destiny. This leads to the strongest moments on Ganging Up On The Sun – the track One Man Wrecking Machine comprising a witty idea about the wonderful possibility to come back to the past and change the things we regret of today. The country-like interlude The Captain is a light and merry song a little relaxing after the deep thoughts and a calm before the storm – the monumental powerful and high-voltage track New Underground. Other standouts are C’mon – a moving and hearty song – and The Beginning Of The End, another thought provoking song. By the end of the album the melodies are becoming more complicated, though the emotions tend to smooth until the final optimistic track Hang On with, which Guster makes a sort of promise to return soon. In general Ganging Up On The Sun is consistent and really skillfully arranged.

Undoubtedly Guster’s best work

There is a hardly an indie-band having such a numerous and devoted fan base as Guster. Since the very beginning of their existence people have been fond of their music combining the traits of pop, folk and rock and refined by the usage of a wide choice of instruments. The albums are each time different and it is exactly so about Guster that nothing is constant but changes. The hits like Amsterdam from Keep It Together are still remembered by many and with Ganging Up On The Sun we get some new great songs like Manifest Destiny or C’mon. This is only the first album with the participation of the newcomer multi-instrumentalist Joe Pisapia, and who knows how high a pedestal his talent can take the team as well as the percussionist’s hands making miracles with drums. The vocalists perform better with each new record and the melodies surprise with their freshness and sensitivity. Front singers’ collaboration is more harmonious than ever and proves that Ganging Up On The Sun is undoubtedly the best Guster’s work and another invaluable contribution to the world of music. Enjoying it we are left to guess what next turn Guster is going to make to surprise us even more.