Gayngs - Relayted (2010)

Sometimes I'll post albums that I don't expect very many people to like, even though I love them to death (read: Satanicpornocultshop). This one is (hopefully) more accessible. Gayngs started as an idea by Ryan Olson (Building Better Bombs), who with Zach Coulter and Adam Hurlburt (Solid Gold), decided to create an album based on the 10cc song "I'm Not In Love". This small group eventually ballooned into a collaboration of over 25 members from various different scenes who all wanted to participate, with backgrounds ranging from hip hop to jazz.

The result was surprisingly effective combination of genres and influences into a rather unique sound that's modern but also a bit reminiscent of the sound of 80s musical acts. Despite the ridiculous number of people contributing to the album, the whole thing has a consistent sound throughout (which, I suppose, can also be partially attributed to the fact that apparently every song was written at 69BPM).

The track Faded High is a duet between a two people in a relationship, one unwilling to let go and the other ready to move on (sound vaguely familiar?), with the name a reference to the "fading" and disappearance of the passion and energy that tends to characterize the beginning of a relationship. Definitely one of the stand out tracks in the album, with the effective use of both male and female vocals to create an emotional dialogue between the two (faded) lovers with the lyrics. Though there are many different vocalists contributing to the album (even P.O.S., a rapper, contributes sung vocals), another thing that characterizes this album is the soulful singing on nearly every track.

My experience with collaborations is that they can be great, or the can fail miserably, with very little middle ground in between. Gayngs definitely falls in the former category, with a very solid album and unique sound that also packs a strong emotional punch.



Tracklist:

1. The Gaudy Side of Town
2. The Walker
3. Cry
4. No Sweat
5. False Bottom
6. The Beatdown
7. Crystal Rope
8. Spanish Platinum
9. Faded High
10. Ride
11. The Last Prom on Earth

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