The time has finally come, an almost 3-year wait for a new album from The Murder Capital finally comes to an end as the band lead up to the release of Gigi’s Recovery on January 20th. Recovery is often described as a return to a normal state of mind, health, or strength, or even regaining possession or control of something once stolen or lost, and Gigi’s Recovery allows The Murder Capital a chance to recuperate, piecing together their recovery from a grief-stricken debut with When I Have Fears, seeing the band return with newfound confidence and stronger than ever before.
Bookended by ‘Exist’ and ‘Existence’, the album’s narrative quickly unravels, showing a journey from battling with managing to keep control of your existence, to finally allowing yourself to live in the present.
Gigi’s Recovery’s first song proper, ‘Crying’, introduces fans to The Murder Capital’s new soundscape perfectly, whilst still allowing the power of the band’s rhythm section, pieced together by bassist Gabriel Paschal Blake and drummer Diarmund Brennan, to bring the track to life – like that of When I Have Fears, the five-piece have evolved to become a more wide-screen unit that isn’t afraid to push boundaries – documented as the track builds momentum before climaxing as guitars hurl themselves towards each other from all directions.
Long-term fans need not fear, as the energy of When I Have Fears remains at the band’s core, displayed throughout the track hailed ‘made for the pits’, ‘Return My Head’, that allows The Murder Capital to explode into life in what could be their sharpest number yet. The album’s commanding standout track quickly follows, taking form as its third single, ‘Ethel’, a song of two, gently-heart breaking halves. The first half is unanchored, with insular instrumentation that allows space for its melody to push and pull itself before revealing a euphoric, yet anxious, second half that allows ‘Ethel’ to move into an alternate reality.
The menacing, brooding ‘The Stars Will Leave Their Stage’, brings something new, and ominous to the table, whereas ‘Belonging’ is sparsely beautiful, a melancholy love song destined to pull on some heartstrings, Gigi’s Recovery laces together to prove The Murder Capital to be a band not afraid to play with the boundaries of genre. ‘The Lie Becomes The Self’ then sees The Murder Capital play around with tension levels, as it threatens to explode before then releasing pent-up tension with ease, whilst showing off another dusting of brutally honest lyricism from vocalist James McGovern.
Lead single, ‘Only Good Things’, demonstrates McGovern’s optimism gracefully, through its hopeful chorus that represents a processing of the grief submerged within the band’s debut, When I Have Fears. The Murder Capital accept the need to move forward as he urges listeners to ‘think Only Good Things’ whilst the driving force of the band’s rhythm section, remains clear as they mingle with the guitarwork of Cathal Roper and Damien Tuit to create a euphoric, anthemic number that displays a huge progression from the isolation felt within the bands debut.
The title track, the album’s last song proper, sees The Murder Capital ‘surrender to everything’, setting alight what they had previously built in a six-minute slow-burner that feels like a meditation, allowing the band to regain strength and prove themselves to be a band defiant.
Gigi’s Recovery allows The Murder Capital to achieve their transformation gracefully, it’s buoyant, and exhilarating and is an intimate look into their recovery, not just as a band but as individuals, whilst also allowing their commitment to their vision and message to shine through. With a weight lifted and a new, optimistic glow surrounding them, The Murder Capital return determined and developed, with a bright future ahead of them.
