Florida’s GILT Share Richly Dynamic Punk On Energetically Cathartic New Album

On their poignant new album Ignore What’s Missing, the Jacksonville, Florida-based punk rock group GILT has captured a stirring musical portrait of a soul in disarray.

The group sounds like they’ve traveled to emotional locales that, outside of the music, might be precarious to explore. There’s a definite sense of catharsis in their dynamically rich songs, but there’s also an emotionally palpable sense of a whole journey leading up to that point — in other words, musically, the album feels like a lot more than “just” the crescendo.

Even in the more intense components of the record, like the traditional punk-leaning “Shelf,” there’s a consistent sense of emotional exploration that seems to guide the music. The music frequently gets intense, and amidst the sometimes in-your-face vibe, the band consistently make their songs sound emotionally wavering, as if they’ve somehow captured moments of acute (and broader) existential uncertainty that tend to creep up during everyday life.

Most of Ignore What’s Missing definitely sits on a (super solid) punk rock foundation, but GILT include a wide dynamic range alongside that invitingly familiar sonic aesthetic. The title track, which opens the record, features some slowcore-leaning vibes (which appear again elsewhere): the riffing and rhythms carry a heavy, contemplative weight. In this corner of their record, GILT have kept their music in a realm of simmering tension; it’s tumultous, but definitely not overwhelming. Here — and elsewhere — emotional longing shines through the earnest splashes of melody.

Each of the elements of the band’s sound feel richly cultivated. The propulsive “Charity,” for instance, features particularly pointed basslines alongside emotionally poignant, surging punk riffs that close the song. “Numbers,” meanwhile, prominently features some piano melodies (alongside a guest spot from Rosie Richeson, who’s the vocalist for the Tallahassee punk group Night Witch).

GILT consistently flow into and out of heavier segments with strikingly cohesive smoothness. They’ve captured a sense of a sonic journey to the high points of heaviness quite effectively. Along the whole journey, they’ve beefed up their craft with the musical chops on display at moments like the awesome swaggering riffs on “Car Seat,” which fuel the emotional tumult.

5/5 Stars

Check out Ignore What’s Missing below!