The Holy Gasp – The Last Generation of Love
4.5/5
Wildly chaotic percussion: check.
Equally eccentric vocals: check.
Stellar horn section: check.
Massive amounts of fun: double check.
Toronto’s The Holy Gasp have released another piece of art with The Last Generation of Love; eight tracks full of personality, musicality and Afro-cuban psychedelic surf punk. Lead by singer/percussionist/poet Benjamin Hackman, the beatnik group harness different components of Afro-cuban percussion, psychedelic textures, folk rock, blues, and poetic protesting for a musical experience that pushes boundaries with style.
“The Man Ain’t Groovy“ opens the album just the way you would expect – an orderly frenzy of friction and rhythm, while Hackman’s untameable vocals add a layer of melody to the track.
Hackman’s unique performance style accentuates the album; the upbeat, unpredictable nature of the instrumentation is taken to another dimension with his raw, punk-based howling brings the energy level up on each song. “The Last Generation of Love“ keeps the pace with a cycle of blaring horns and bongos; closely following is the ska-punk fury, hair-raising rant “Bedbugs“. Fighting to match the level of intensity and raw power, “Stomp Out the Man“ refuses to conform to traditional song writing, amongst other protesting themes.
One of the first singles and music videos from the upcoming album, “A Daily Affirmation“ is a quirky, melodic sing-along that finds a way to be motivational in pseudo-gospel style. The music video (which is loosely based on YouTube sensation Jessica’s video of the same name), shows both Benjamin Hackman’s morning grooming routine and his love for partying with balloons.
The Holy Gasp’s latest work is some of the best fun you’ll have this year (did I mention they love partying with balloons?). Unpredictable, funky and strangely entertaining, The Last Generation of Love is a needed addition to your music collection.
Listen to the full album via Quick Before It Melts, then head over to their bandcamp to hear more, buy the album, and check out their tour dates!
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