Best albums of 2024: #3 Gift “Illuminator”

Looking back at my list so far, there’s a few bands making their first appearance on any of my end of year, best albums lists and a few of these still that are brand new to me, just hearing about them and listening to them for the first time this year. Gift is an example of this latter group.

They are a Brooklyn-based quintet that was hand-picked and pieced together by TJ Freda back in 2020, just before the onslaught of the worldwide pandemic. Much like for a number of other people, COVID threw a monkey wrench into Freda’s plans and the group was forced into a hiatus just as they were getting off the ground.

Gift still managed to record a debut album, “Momentary presence”, which was released to raves and acclaim back in 2022. However, much like I did with Wunderhorse, I completely missed out on this debut, but given how much I delight in last year’s “Illuminator”, it’s definitely going to be one that I go back to explore. Purportedly it is much more in line with and more faithful to their psych rock influences, evoking flashbacks to Spacemen 3 and Jason Pierce’s second band, Spiritualized, both bands that I love. And in truth, I do hear smacks of these on “Illuminator” and even some Dandy Warhols and The Liminanas, these are likely the result of Gift’s more collaborative approach here and wilful willingness to allow some pop leanings to creep into their sound.

“Illuminator” is the group’s first release on legendary indie label, Captured Tracks, the folks behind a number of excellent dream pop band releases over the last decade, as well as the vinyl reissue Luna’s first five albums in a box set. And well, it’s an album that definitely fits within Captured Tracks’ ethos as I understand it. There’s plenty of haze and dry ice oozing from these songs but there’s also lots of fun energy, a near perfect album for a Friday night*. The eleven tracks are all gigantic and audacious and should fill a lot of dance floors… if the kids are still doing such a thing, that is…

It was near impossible to select favourites but given that this is the tradition with these posts, I endeavoured and present the following three picks for you.

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“Going in circles”: “You taught me to forget, when I watched my sky cave in.” This was the first track Freja wrote for the album, purportedly coming up with it while noodling around with his guitar. Inspired to get up immediately and put the sound to tape. Listening to these 3 minutes and 36 seconds of pure bliss, you can see and hear and feel where he must’ve been that night. “Going in circles” informed the direction of all 11 tracks – spacey and dance and not a little bit inspired by 90s UK rave culture. The drums crash and the synths bounce off the walls and the rumbling bass line simply begs for more smoke machine. It’s a song for dancing to like nobody’s watching, even if everyone is.

“Glow“: Track nine is another rager. Smacking slightly of a post-reunion Ride track that I can’t quite put my finger on right now, but this isn’t a comparison that anyone should be ashamed of. The track name perfectly encapsulates the mood. An explosion of ecstasy, writhing bodies shuttled down from space, strobes and lasers, sweat and pheromones. The drum beat has no intention of quitting and the guitars and bass shuttle along, climbing up and down your spine. The synths wash through, building force to Freda’s gauzy delivery. The party ramps up and just begs for more dancing.

“Wish me away”: “Will they remember me just in time to bury me?” The opening number has words like this that feel like a downer, the inability to hold on to happiness or anything, and just general inconstancy, but the mood of the music, just like everywhere else, is pure joy. The guitars and drums feel like they’re in a race to the finish line, each jumping ahead of their other at different points. The synths flit about like a laser pointer drawing one hundred cats in its wake. These five young musicians/magicians are adept at accelerating neurons to the point where you’re forgetting all your problems and joining them on the dance floor, like psychedelic pied pipers draining the anxiety away.

*The timing of this post is impeccable. You’re welcome.

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Onwards, we march. We’ll be at album #2 in a few days hence. In the meantime, here are the previous albums in this list:

10. Quivers “Oyster cuts”
9. The Jesus And Mary Chain “Glasgow eyes”
8. The Last Dinner Party “Prelude to ecstasy”
7. Vampire Weekend “Only god was above us”
6. Real Estate “Daniel”
5. Wild Pink “Dulling the horns”
4. Wunderhorse “Midas”

You can also check out my Best Albums page here if you’re interested in my other favourite albums lists.