Brighton’s GAPS crank it up a notch for first taste of their second album

18 April 2017, 13:45 | Written by Holly Manners

(Tracks)

(GAPS)

Perhaps inspired by the fantastic collaborations with Maya Jane Coles, Eekkoo and Wax Wings on tracks “In Dark, In Day” and “Never Walk Away”, GAPS have gone in a darker, more electronic direction in “Shatter”, the single which precedes their forthcoming album.

The opening of "Shatter" is an eerie homage to medieval polyphony, with a manipulated Hammond organ and harpsichord providing sparse accompaniment to vocalist Rachel Buttand’s monophonic refrain. Gradually, the track is built up around her, with Jon Hopkins-esque layering and beats. Never does the track fully take off, but the beauty of “Shatter” is in its light touch, courtesy of producer Ed Critchley.

With lyrics such as “If I could choose/I’d turn over myself/Shatter this love”, “Shatter” concerns itself with the space between holding on and letting go. This was a conscious effort on part of GAPS, who have promised a second album “exploring the nature of lived experience and accepting what is”.

Speaking about their approach to the new album, Critchley explains: “I have tried to match this change in lyrical direction with a fresh production. Simple things like; using lots of vocal takes together - so there’s less focus on the self and a wide stereo field - to get lost in. I like the sense of space it creates. Like you’re looking at something in the distance through blinds.”