Pregnant with mysterious sonic symbolism, Seattle alt-rock outfit Glorybots amalgamate complex textures of sci-fi-flavored soundscapes with surging rock energy, witnessed by their latest album, Invisible.
The mastermind behind Glorybots is Jalal Andre, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who tests the edges on the brink of music’s abyss. The band’s debut record, entitled Dark Alien Pop, dropped in 2018.
Comparing ‘Dark Alien Pop’ with ‘Invisible,’ Jalal says, “On Invisible, our sophomore album, there is deliberately less of a noticeable ‘Dark Alien Pop’ vibe, but those elements are there on a few tracks. To be honest, after touring in support of Dark Alien Pop, I wanted to put out an album where we all just really rock-out! But, I can certainly imagine that future works might incorporate more of that ‘Dark Alien Pop’ vibe because it was fun to steer the songs in that direction and I miss those alien textures!”
Jalal Andre
The lineup on Invisible comprises Jalal Andre (vocals, guitars, bass, synth/keys, programming, lyrics, songwriting), Ben Hilzinger (drums, percussion), and Ian Sides (bass).
Encompassing 11-tracks, Invisible starts off with “Blepharospasm,” opening on blistering punk guitars flowing into a driving rhythm of propelling momentum, tinged with avant-garde colors akin to radical garage-rock imbued with grunge and steroidal surf-rock touches.
Speaking subjectively, entry points include “Wrong,” traveling on dark grungy guitars transitioning to searing surges on the chorus. Jalal’s voice imbues the lyrics with ominous residue. “Caged and Confused” blends smatterings of alt-pop and pop-punk into a luminous melody reminiscent of Lenny Kravitz on PEDs.
“London Breeze,” a personal favorite melds dream-pop and alt-rock-lite into a gorgeous number and shows off the range and expressiveness of Jalal’s voice. The opening shuffle on “Cumulous” sucks listeners in and then adds tasty fusions of new wave punk and surf rock coloration. “Cumulous” might be the best track on the album because of its oozing hypnotic tones.
Candidly, there’s not a second-rate track on the album, demonstrating Jalal’s feel and gift for turning out innovative music with muscle. And although I relished the dark eeriness of Dark Alien Pop, the new album is superbly wrought, with its nuanced ferocity.
With Invisible, Glorybots strut their mushrooming musical palette, injecting hefty guitars and throbbing rhythmic pulsations.
