'Electric Party Chrome Girl EP’ / Gut Health
Naarm punk band Gut Health set to release debut EP Electric Party Chrome Girl with a launch party at the Curtin, Friday November 18th
Pouring pet nat on pet nat on pet nat, day on day, I can’t step away from the triumphant whoop of Gut Health.
Arguably one of the most powerful bands to debut in Naarm this year, Gut Health made a name for themselves from their first show. The promise of a release has been passed around in conversation for months, already pre-emptively topping many people’s personal 2022 charts.
Finally, those of us strung out on Gut Health, chasing the no-wave high in the scant clips that exist online and the occasional gig, have the chance to relish the sheer force of the band whenever we wish with the release of Electric Party Chrome Girl, out tomorrow Friday 18th via Marthouse Records. And along with it, a launch party at the Curtin Hotel with V, Teether, Red Hell and DJ Daddy.
The character of the EP is established right out of the gate with the late-eighties almost brutalist design. The accompanying shots of the band meld stark, almost Soviet, aesthetics of heavy black, grainy film and neglected structures with a camp reminiscent of Rocky Horror and Elvira. This coupling of aspects perfectly represents the sound contained within the release. Inner Norm, the leading single off Electric Party Chrome Girl, reflects the sheer force promised by this EP. Blending a complex, track-defining bass line with dominant, Gang of Four style drums. These post-punk elements blend in with punching guitar stabs and a new-wave synth line to demonstrate the band’s ability to combine influences from opposite ends of the spectrum into something entirely new.
This heavily eighties-influenced sound is furthered by the stage prowess of vocalist Athina, who’s aerobic-instructor style jogging behind the microphone powers the band’s live performances forward, asserting the group as seasoned performers who work hard to deliver unforgettable performances.
Despite these similarities to bands of yore, Gut Health feel anything but dated. Inner Norm is an almost timeless track, one that could as easily have been discovered buried deep in an old record collection as it could be a song performed by the Blade Runner house band. At once futuristic and yet classic, Gut Health’s diverse musical influences culminate in the production of an album that will no doubt embed itself in the Australian canon for years to come.
Inner Norm skewers aspects of so called “Naarm-core”, making fun of the utter homogeneity of the supposed signifiers of individuality within the inner north of the city. The band pillories those that “don’t conform”, despite playing into the aesthetics and activities designated as culturally normal for the area. These ironic lyrics plant Gut Health square in the punk corner of post-punk, establishing the band as unafraid to call out those around them.
There is so much that can be said for Gut Health, but nothing can prepare you for the first time you hear them. Electric Party Chrome Girl promises a shift in musical consciousness that is destined to embed itself in the listener for years to come.
Article by Asha-Mae Chapman Ralph (@flaming_mongrel)
Photography by Sophie Gabrielle (@sophie_gabrielle)
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