by Gabriela Montiel (@gabmontee)
Following in the NME's C-86 tradition, Gingerlys’ self titled 2017 album is full jangle pop inspiration. The band is composed of Matt Richards on guitar, Jackie Mendoza on keys/vocals, Colin O’Neill on guitar, Kevin Doxey on bass, and Brian Alvarez on drums. Their sound is similar to bands like Alvvays; it is no surprise that Connor Hanwick from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and The Drums produced the high energy debut album.
This fast paced album is doused in indie pop and twee influences in addition to post-punk percussion and dream pop synths. Mendoza’s bright meandering vocals are emphasized by the ethereal echoes, 50s inspired melodies, and vociferous hammering guitar. The indie pop album is heavily influenced by youth culture music, evident in lyrics that resemble teenage love and angst. “Taking my time behind the phone, I was waiting to be let down,” Mendoza sings on “Let Down.” This call-and-response track is the most unique amongst the similar assortment of power-pop ballads. The song features O’Neill as the male response to Mendoza’s reproach, “I was waiting to be let down.”
The general style of the Gingerlys is their bubble gum echoes and guitar progressions that revel in California-esque surf rock nostalgia. The album opens with the upbeat post-punk rhythmic “Turtledoves,” setting the tone for the rest of the album. Each song is a mirror image of the next, utilizing simplicity to lull you into a session of passive listening. In just under 30 minutes the album races to an end, forcing the dedicated listener to replay the album in order to catch the blurred song transitions.