Not taking yourself too seriously can be a serious liberation for artists.
Walking away from a hyper-focused and exhaustive artistic persona has given some artists a sense of relief, and a sense of being themselves. This is what Nashville garage rockers Glamper have been doing since their inception, and now they’ve released a full album to display their sonic abilities in all its casual rock and roll glory.
Formed in 2019, Glamper takes inspiration from punk rock giants such as The Ramones and MC5, and more modern powerhouses like FIDLAR and Queens of the Stone Age. They describe themselves as being “garage rock with a smirk and worn out VHS tape of Jurassic Park.” The group consists of Cory Taylor Cox (bass/guitar/vocals), Chief Keith Herndon (bass/guitar/vocals) and Zip Hurst (drums).
Their goal is to create music not confined to any genre, vibe, or really any expectations at all, and they’ve shown this to be the case on their previous 8 singles they released. Now, with the group sharpening their skills in the studio and on the stage, they decided to record their new album, Rat Race, that was released on February 25th. The album took their unique sound they crafted with their singles and proved they could make a full-fledged album of exhilarating garage rock anthems.
The first song that stood out was “Snackworld,” which was previously released as a single. The extremely grungy guitar, fuzzed out bass, and bright drums meld together with a DIY sound and attitude. The song is tongue and cheek while having an honest sentiment to it. The lyrics, “One day when we have enough space / We’ll build a zipline to your place,” show the childlike wonder that comes with falling for someone.
“Lose My Cool” continues the fiery distorted guitars and energetic rhythm section. The feeling of being nervous around someone you’re into further plays into that childlike romance that was established on “Snackworld.” It’s something all of us have experienced at one point or another, and Glamper does a great job of tapping into that uneasy feeling of an early romance.
“Fried Bologna” keeps the food metaphors continuing with this song about a questionable food item bought at a gas station. This idea of buying a lass than appetizing sandwich in “nowhere” Mississippi is then directly compared to the existential dread of losing yourself to the great beyond.
“Take Your Cat Back,” which is an early single that brought a lot of attention to the group, opens with some great Midwest emo guitars drowned in fuzz. The slow, sludgy pace of the song makes it stand out against the rest of the tracks here. The lyrics here deal with a recent breakup that happened, but one partner left their cat at the singer’s house with him stating, “I don’t even know its name / Just take your cat back.” Another example of some satirical and humorous songwriting paired with some deeper, more veiled emotional sentiments.
Glamper has shown with this album they’re a band inspired by every facet of rock music, and to hell with taking yourself too seriously. New and old, melodic and noisy, funny and serious, everything is a melding of ideas to create a notable first album for the group.
Be cool, have fun, listen to Glamper.
