EP: Safari Inn – ‘Welcome To Safari Inn’

Consisting of former members of London rockers The Franklys, Jen and Lexy, Safari Inn are the super group you need in your life right now, and we’ve been loving their debut EP.

Inspired by a shared love of the 1993 Quentin Tarantino film ‘True Romance’, Welcome to Safari Inn condenses the movie’s action-packed emotional journey into four expertly crafted tracks. While familiarity with the film will surely give you a deeper appreciation of the EP, you don’t need to be a die-hard fan to enjoy it. Even with only a passing understanding of the source material, Safari Inn have infused their debut with a lot of their own character that shines through, despite very direct references to the movie.

Welcome to Safari Inn kicks off with ‘Drexl Spivey‘, named for the notorious pimp character played by Gary Oldman. As both a single and first track, ‘Drexl Spivey’ is perfectly suited to establishing the psychedelic sound you can expect from the rest of the EP. It is a whirlwind of roaring guitars and deep, moody vocals.

The whole EP has a different vibe than you might expect from the two musicians who make up Safari Inn, if you’re familiar with their previous work with garage rock band The Franklys. It’s clear that they’re experimenting in a way that leans into their strengths and the chances they take consistently pay off. Welcome To Safari Inn aches with reverb, echoing vocals and heady swirling guitars over throbbing drums that ground you even when the music threatens to carry you away from reality. With each immersive offering, it evokes a chaotic heady atmosphere that is masterfully reminiscent of the film.

Second track, ‘Blue Lou Boyle’, picks up the pace, with a pounding bass riff that rolls in from the very beginning. The quicker start slows down to lend the soaring vocals a platform in the verses; ramping up again to a rambunctious, wailing chorus. This is the chaotic heart of the EP, the action and meaning that make up the majority of ‘True Romance’ all concentrated into a thrilling 3.15 minutes.

Welcome to Safari Inn softens with the reflective ‘The Sun Sets Slowly in the West’. This third track offers a gentle come down from the excitement. It’s slower paced, with crooning vocals that linger over drawn out lilting words, processing everything now that the storm has passed. The full realisation of everything that has happened sinks in with gut-wrenching bass and drums that deliver an immense sucker-punch of the consequences.

No less chaotic, but maintaining a distinct sense of hope, the EP wraps up with ‘Dinosaur Corkscrew’. It puts the debilitating trauma of True Romance behind you and looks forward to a world where you can emerge on the other side still holding onto faith in a normal, happy life.

As a collection, Welcome To Safari Inn offers a swirling whirlwind of psychedelic splendour; a truly immersive debut that leaves you desperate for more.

Welcome To Safari Inn is out now. Listen / buy on Bandcamp now.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

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ALBUM: ĠENN – ‘unum’

A dynamic, shape-shifting record inspired by feelings of otherness, Malta-via-Brighton art punks ĠENN have crafted an intricate narrative of multi-cultural experiences, personal anxieties and a powerful sense of togetherness on their debut album, unum. Released via their own label Liminal Collective, the record is an urgent, instinctive rumination on the band’s predominantly Maltese roots, how it feels to be an outsider and how the universal feeling of wanting to belong is more powerful than the overwhelming social, mental and political barriers that try to prevent this from occurring.

Co-produced by ĠENN, Gilla Band’s Dan Fox & Tom Hill and mastered by Katie Tavini, unum – which means “oneness, unity, a sense of being whole” in Latin – is influenced by a myriad of musical genres. Despite sharing the same Maltese roots, guitarist Janelle, bassist Leanne and vocalist Leona are inspired by a plethora or different styles, from post-punk and psych-rock, to freestyle and traditional Ghanaian folk music. Drummer Sofia was raised in Brighton with a love of jazz and blues music, but her Jamaican, Portuguese and British heritage offers another layer to ĠENN’s multifaceted sound.

From of the offset, unum is an ardent fusion of yearning and urgency. “Me and my body have a close relationship / yet I feel nothing like myself” confesses Leona on opener ‘Rohmeresse’, her hushed spoken-word contrasting against the track’s upbeat, chant-worthy motif of “I wanna stay in all day / I wanna sleep in all day, all day.” Evocative riffs and skittish percussion all lead up to an impressive display of her elastic vocal range in the latter part of the track, before everything culminates in a potent, explosive breakdown. ‘Rohmeresse’ showcases ĠENN’s abilities to melt complex, contradictory concepts and instrumentation into sophisticated, accessible sounds.

The chemistry between the band is best observed and appreciated when they’re playing live together, but on unum, Leona’s vocals truly command listeners attention. They are a vital force amidst the genre-blending skills of her bandmates, cutting through in all the right places. Whether she’s tackling the monotonous reality of a day job on the brooding ‘Days and Nights’, singing over swaggering riffs and saxophone on ‘Wild West’, or exploring creative and personal purgatory on the trip-hop inspired ‘A Muse (In Limbo)’, her ambiguous lyrics are heightened by her instinctive, dynamic vocal delivery.

This instinct is shared and showcased most vehemently on tracks ‘Calypso’, ‘A Reprise (That Girl)’ and ‘The Sister Of’. The first – named after the island Janelle’s Mother hails from – is a melodic, jazz-tinged symphony inspired by mythical mermaids and the language of Maltese poet and playwright Mario Azzopardi, the rhythms of which seep into the bloodstream. ‘A Reprise (That Girl)’ sees Leona spiral into feelings of self doubt and insecurity after watching heavily constructed versions of women’s lives online, intensified by incendiary riffs.

Arguably, it’s on ‘The Sister Of’ that the issues which inspired the creation of unum are pushed directly into the spotlight. ĠENN – who identify as majority queer people of colour – remain hopeful in sisterhood, despite the shadows of the Maltese Pro-Abortion movement and Pride protests stretching across the waters into their consciousness here in the UK. Whilst not addressed directly, these feelings of unease permeate ‘The Sister Of’, as Leona evokes visceral, fleshy imagery in her lyrics – “Pulsed by the wisdom that lies beneath your gum / blood glistens between your clenched teeth” – exploring the “alienation that bursts out of sight / agitation that brings through the light.” The track’s accompanying video, a short film by acclaimed Ukrainian director Kyryl Volovych, also reflects themes of disconnection and transience that come with being an immigrant in the post-Brexit landscape.

Ultimately, ĠENN’s debut album is a keenly observed statement of self-autonomy, and the often exhausting journey that comes with trying achieve to it. It’s a compelling, vital record that re-enforces the powerful bonds of friendship between its creators, whilst offering listeners a glimpse into a world of experiences they may not always be privy to; all underscored by formidable riffs and a formidable creative spirit.

Follow ĠENN on bandcamp, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter (X) & Instagram

Photo Credit: Jordan Core

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Video Premiere: Jemma Freeman & The Cosmic Something – ‘Huge’

Having received acclaim from the likes of BBC 6Music’s Steve Lamacq, Mojo Magazine and even comedian Stewart Lee, and now just being announced as longlisted for the Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition, London psych rockers Jemma Freeman & The Cosmic Something have shared a poignant new video.

Chanelling the mindset of a child with ADHD, trying to make sense of a locked down world, ‘Huge’ is propelled by a chaotic energy, rippling with fizzing hooks as the swirling power of Jemma’s truly distinctive vocals soars. Building with a sparkling psychedelic allure to an immense, colourful cacophony, it showcases the raw emotive majesty that this innovative artist is able to create. An epic, frenzied anthem oozing a stirring visceral drive that’ll captivate on first listen. Of the track, Jemma explains:

“The song is a dysregulated nervous system being forced to try and think, the world demanding an answer for questions too big for any brain to manage. I want to be non verbal, it’s Huge, I don’t really want to have to talk about it.”

‘Huge’ is accompanied by a charming stop-motion video, hand-crafted by Jemma themselves, and perfectly depicting the meanings behind the song. Of the video, they explain:

“I liked shifting the focus from the broad, dark themes of ‘Huge’ into a tiny, intricate, melodrama that was remote, introverted and distant from reality. A world apart, an escapist, lofi reality. Tiny moments of joy, a still space in a world made of forever moving parts”

Watch the brand new video for ‘Huge’, for the first time, here:


Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Jon Mo / @jonmophoto

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Five Favourites: Death Valley Girls

Having been big fans of LA’s Death Valley Girls for a few years now, I’m super excited to hear that they will be announcing their new album, Islands In The Sky, at the end of the month. Our second taster from the upcoming release (following 2021’s ‘It’s All Really Kind Of Amazing’) comes in the form of truly dreamy new single, ‘Sunday‘. Oozing a glistening, ethereal splendour, ‘Sunday’ offers a sweeping slice of anthemic, soul-strewn psych-rock. Building with a fizzing energy, it harks back to the psychedelic sounds of the ’70s California scene, whilst showcasing the bands’ ability to create something that is utterly unique. A beautifully immersive trip into the cosmic world of Death Valley Girls.

We think one of the best ways to get to know a band is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the release of the upcoming album, we caught up with Death Valley Girls’ front woman Bonnie Bloomgarden to ask about the music that has inspired her the most. So, read about her five favourite ever albums, and check out the wonderfully trippy new video for ‘Sunday’ below!

Alice Coltrane – Journey in Satchidananda
Did you know music is allowed to sound like this? And has the ability to affect your entire existence? To reframe your view of consciousness and reality. To massage your light, and your soul with in. To feed you, the you inside your body!! To take your earth body, gently lie it down, turn it off for the time being, and lead your spirit to a journey in the astral realm?? It is, it can, and with Alice Coltrane it often does! 

Otis Redding – Pain in My Heart
Wow, I could not imagine my world with out this record. I cry every time I listen to ‘These Arms of Mine’ – chills go down my spine and I remember I am alive, and it’s good ‘cause I getta feel things like this. His voice is epic, on the top ten most important voices of all time to me. It’s hard to imagine what a break up would feel like with out this record – I wouldn’t know, cause I’ve never tried!

Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
Without pause, even for a fraction of an instant, my all time favourite album is Black Sabbath’s first record. Up until the point I miraculously chose Black Sabbath from a stack of nearly 50 rock and roll records my cousin gave to me, I had only heard soft music. I am forever grateful to all the music I’ve heard, but I had primarily listened to what I know now to be goofy in the scope of my current taste. Like for my first ten years, I exclusively heard show tunes, Billy Joel, vocal jazz, and the Indigo Girls. Before that was all piano, orchestral, and acoustic guitar driven music. To hear electric guitar, in all its evil glory, by the God that is Tony Iommi, for the first time!! Can you imagine at ten how deviant that felt! Also, for the first time to truly understand instrumentation. Getting to know each and every single note by those master musicians! I can not imagine where I would be, or what I would think a great bass line, or guitar riff, or vocal melody, or drum part is, if not for that divine record.
Black Sabbath!! Black Sabbath!! Black Sabbath!!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ISXnYu-Or4w

Ronnie Spector – Unfinished Business
First of all, the concept of being the original bad girl of rock and roll could not have been any more exciting to me as a kid! I love Ronnie, and what she stood for, and how she stood for it – way back when, when it was practically impossible to do so. Her voice, her wickedness, her unapologetic nuances and phrasing, mixed with her immaculate harmonies… Oh my goodness. She also was considered one of the boys, and got to tour with the Stones and Beatles, what career highlights! RIP Ronnie!!

Iggy Pop – The Idiot
What an amazing story and collaboration! Only this type of decadence and decay could have been created by Bowie and Iggy trying to get clean from drugs in Berlin. We are so lucky for this type of art. Something that seems as though it could have just as easily never made it to the light of day. And yet, it did. And it is pure, raw, unadulterated fun, mixed with the suffering they must have been feeling between their realities. Very grateful for these two, and their collaborations!! 


Must add as all time greatest influences:

  1. Tina Turner 
  2. Aretha Franklin 
  3. Sister Rosetta Tharpe
  4. Lightning Hopkins

Massive thanks to Bonnie for sharing her Five Favourites (and more!) with us! Watch the new video, directed by Arturo Baston, here:

Islands In The Sky, the upcoming new album from Death Valley Girls, is set for release on 24th February via Suicide Squeeze Records – pre-order here. And catch Death Valley Girls live when they’re over in the UK later month – more info here.

Photo Credit: Neto Velasco

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