Album Review: Church of the Pistoleros by GypsyPistoleros

Once upon a time, an album release was something to be celebrated; the anticipation, the singles dropping one by one, each another piece in the jigsaw, ahead of the album landing in its entirety. Long hours would then be spent poring over the cover, losing yourself in the music and learning the lyrics, so that you were word-perfect ahead of the inevitable tour. But in recent years, as streaming has taken over the world and singles, not albums, became the currency of the day, the art of the long form seemed to be in terminal decline…but with the release of their new album, Gypsy Pistoleros seem intent on bringing it back with a vengeance.

For make no mistake this is an event, an occasion, it’s an all-encompassing blitzkrieg of beautifully exciting imagery, superlative song-writing, in your face performances and is surely the most wildly entertaining slab of vinyl that your needle is going to hit this year…

Starting with first single, Church of the Pistoleros setting out the band’s sermon of rock n roll inclusion in all its cinematic glory, the album is bookended by The Prayer which closes things out in similarly biblical fashion (but more on that later). Sandwiched between these two are eight tracks drenched in the glorious, mercurial fusion of styles and influence that is the Pistoleros trademark. But if you thought you knew the Gypsy Pistoleros, then think again. For this is the next era of the band, taking all the elements you know and elevating them into something even more unique and memorable. Dave Draper must really step forward and take a bow for his production, which surely adds so much to the sound and impact of the finished album, and is the final ingredient in the mystical alchemy that makes this so very special; every instrument, every sound, is perfectly orchestrated, expertly curated, whilst not sacrificing a shred of the band’s vitality and edginess. In amongst the usual Pistoleros swagger and bluster, on this release there is so much more subtlety, nuance and emotion, the songs swinging and changing in such a surprising way that you can’t help but be swept along in the gravitational pull it exerts.

There’s so much to love here on what is surely the Pistoleros most complete album to date; on first listen each song is a fabulous surprise as you can’t predict what’s coming next, it’s brilliantly varied, with something to suit every mood and taste.

Want something punky, fast and sneering? Try, I’m In Love with Myself, the bastard offspring of Generation X and Slade, a swirling punk riff melded to a Glam Rock drum beat, with the most wonderful 70s drum fill you’ve heard this decade, that demands you throw your fist in the air and leaves you with a stupid grin on your face.

Something heartfelt and a little nostalgic (but in no way mawkish)? How about the brilliantly atmospheric, semi-autobiographical groove of Whatever Happened to the Old Town; starting life as a mid-tempo number before suddenly shifting gear, hitting the gas pedal and rocking out, before changing again in the final section, it carries you along, painting an evocative picture in words and music, and showcases Gypsy Lee’s unmatched talent as a storyteller. Lyrically exquisite - as is so much of the album - the band’s ear for a gorgeously phrased line is a perfectly honed thing of beauty. “Home, where the memories haunt me, home, where the past still taunts me” Sublime.

An epic, you say? Last of the Commancheros is a wild west tale in the grand tradition, all funky beats, and a fabulously swinging and pulsing bass, leading to the smoothest of melodic choruses, that surely needs to be the soundtrack to a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster. With its flamenco flourishes and stunning arrangement, it contains more ideas, invention and ambition in one song then some bands can muster in an entire career.

Hide Behind a Smile by contrast is a jaw-dropping, shimmering tale of jagged, tragic beauty. Can there be a more gut-wrenching and poetically desperate lyric then the heart-rending pathos of “suicide smiles cutting your throat while you’re laughing out loud”. It’s another example of the superb song-writing skill that is the trademark of this album, every song a beautifully constructed mini epic in its own right. Really, we could go on, but in truth you could drop the needle anywhere and you’d hit something surprising, intoxicating, thrilling or a combination of all three (and I’ve not even mentioned the bonkers but brilliant cover of Livin La Vida Loca...)

Closer, The Prayer is the perfect bookend to the album, rounding out what began nine songs earlier with Church of the Pistoleros. Punching you in the face with its opening riff, it builds into a holy symphony that encapsulates everything that this new evolution of the band is all about. In an album that is stuffed to busting with wild, and eclectic influences, I never expected to find a song that, at least in its chorus and synth parts, put me in mind of Ultravox (albeit a hard rocking 21st century Ultravox!), but The Prayer does exactly that! And in my book, that’s no bad thing, for that alone shows how widely and boldly the band have been in their ambition; rules are there to be broken and in throwing that rulebook out of the saloon window, they’ve created something magical. The Prayer is sweeping and epic in an at times almost orchestral way that is simply irresistible possessing an emotional hit that is both surprising and affecting.

This is an album for the ages, one to feed your rock n roll soul, that reminds you of the joy and energy that guitar music, played with passion and imagination can bring to us all, rescuing us from the daily grind and humdrum of everyday life.

A prayer for the wild ones indeed…

You can pre-order here...

https://earache.com/collections/gypsy-pistoleros