Album review: Gallus – We Don’t Like The People We’ve Become

If you don’t laugh you’ll cry. That’s essentially what Gallus tell us on We Don’t Like The People We’ve Become. The indie-punk four piece share coming of age tales on this debut album that gets honest about navigating life as a working class, young adult.

But it's far from a gloomy listen, seasoned with self-deprecating humour, joyful sloven lyricism and plenty of nose-scrunching riffs, it knots together the bittersweet and polarising experience of “adulting” in today’s ugly societal landscape.

Standout track Fruit Flies gives off reverb-drenched, ’90s-esque guitar melodies that layer with angst-y textures and an underlying nervy chaos. Meanwhile, Barry Dolan’s Scottish twang peppers his lyrics throughout, packing the same from-the-gut punch as Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil. On Missiles, a thick bass intro leads into chants of ‘I don’t mind if this is how it ends’, as the band collectively acknowledge the lack of control they have over the future, and learn to let go of what’s beyond their reach.

By the time they reach closer Sickness And Health, they've ventured through a whole lot of frustration, growth and self-acceptance. The final track’s title truly sinks in as Barry belts, ‘I thought I knew everything about me’, as he alludes to the fact he is stuck with himself, all his good and bad bits, and that being okay with that is the way forward.

So as our lower backs are causing us equal amounts of pain as our hangovers now, our bank accounts are crying, and the world is turning into a steaming shit heap, Gallus remind you that once you finish feeling your frustrations, it’s okay to laugh at them too.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: Dinosaur Pile-Up, Sick Joy, Sports Team

We Don’t Like The People We’ve Become is out on June 9 via Marshall