Famously Alive. Guerilla Toss

Hearing the opening of Famously Alive for the first time within seconds I knew that this album was not made for me. Was I wrong! Since, I've played the album regularly, soft and loud. Of course, Famously Alive is filled with electronic rhythms, autotune singing and dance/house elements but it is also filled with pop melodies, rocking guitars and some weirdness to top it all off. The result is an album that is, a single exception aside, great fun to listen to and no doubt under the right circumstances very danceable.

Guerilla Toss was before the album landed on my door mat, totally unknown to me. Great, adventure, I thought and before long it turned into one. Guerilla Toss is a trio from up state New York's Catskill Mountains area. Kassie Karlton sings and wrote all lyrics, Peter Negroponte is responsible for all the sounds except for Arian Shafiee's guitar playing. Together the trio can kick up huge beats and sounds, totally overwhelming the extended invitation to listen to its music. It's new album is the first one released on the Sub Pop label, a step up in the world, after releasing singles and albums since late 2012.

"Dig deep enough inside yourself -- start treating your body as your sanctuary rather than your enemy -- and eventually you'll find yourself blooming right back out into the sun", is the message coming with Famously Alive. As I said and wrote before, no matter how horrid the Covid period was, it has brought good sides as well. Read this sentence and the quote again and you'll know that it was very much the case for Kassie Karlton too. In times of lockdown she had to reach inside herself and found Famously Alive there. An end result of a time of dread can be a lot worse, as it is for many people.

What I like about this album, is that it is not only called Famously Alive, it has the quality to make the listeners feel alive as well. It certainly speaks to my senses. Firstly, it impresses with the huge sounds coming by regularly, this is an album of the big beat and huge electronics. Secondly, Karlson's voice may sound light at times, but just like, for example, Jerney Kaagman in Earth & Fire she totally stands her ground against the band. Thirdly the album has a few great pop melodies. Sometimes hidden in the huge whole and sometimes occupying the foreground with ease. All together it makes Famously Alive stand out.

If I have to drop a name for you, the one that comes to mind is Garbage, where it not that Guerilla Toss is as modern now, as Garbage was at the time of its debut album in, what was it, 1995? In other words totally left of Garbage's centre.

Famously Alive is one of those albums that I got surprised by. Had I just received a paper notice, I would never have taken the time to listen to it. The fact that it was made easy for me to do so, made all the difference. Modern albums can be fun, folks, even at my, so perhaps your age too.

Wout de Natris