- Words Notion Staff
Alternative rock quintet Giss share captivating new album ‘II’.
Giss are an alternative quintet who’ve built a brand of modern rock that goes against the grain. Combining strokes of nostalgic synths, percussive rhythms and distorted guitars, the band continues to create something truly authentic, and their second album is no different. ‘II’ is their most ambitious work to date, seeking inspiration from the likes of Radiohead and Tame Impala.
Rooted in melodic indie, Giss’s early work focused more on acoustic instrumentation and emotive lyricism. However, over several years, they’ve developed their sound into something unique, transporting listeners to a new world through their wide scope of influence.
Releasing via ‘Dig a Pony’ records, ‘II’ is the band’s latest music marvel. The record features previous singles “Sauer Brenner” and “She Looks Like a Dog”, which were met with strong streaming acclaim. Album opener “Morning Battle” lays the foundations for the proceeding nine-tracks, blurring the lines between bossa-nova and indie inspired choruses. By the end of ‘II’, listeners are met with inflections of Aphex Twin-Esque ambience and space-filling brass instrumentation. Such disparity is a testament to the range of genres they’ve embodied since their debut album. In their own words, Giss explain: “We wanted the music to be both as pleasant as pop rock songs and at the same time put in some quirks and twists to make it musically vivid and immersive”. ‘II’ does exactly this. The album is available to purchase from Bandcamp or on streaming platforms.