Gabi Garbutt & The Illuminations announce release of sophomore album ‘Cockerel’ which follows the brilliant 2019 debut album, ‘The Discredited Language of Angels,’ which saw Gabi and her band performing live sessions for BBC 6Music’s Cerys Matthews & Radio X’s John Kennedy, and scoring plays on Steve Lamacq & Chris Hawkins. Gabi and her band toured with The Libertines and Edwyn Collins in 2019, and were all set for a year of touring when the pandemic hit in 2020. Retreating into her songwriting, Gabi started sketching out songs about escape and exploring vulnerability. Demoing the arrangements at home then honing the songs with her band The Illuminations as soon as rehearsal studios opened up, they created an explosive album of indie pop bangers that have lyrical and musical depth. As the opening song ‘Bad Boy Bird’ announces “I am no human, I am the promise of dynamiteâ€, Gabi and her band summon up a volcanic concoction of sounds, from the poetic punk sensibilities of Ezra Furman and Patti Smith, the soaring alt pop of The Voidz and The Flaming Lips, to Motown inspired soul stompers, the record conjures up a range of atmospheres to occupy the listeners mind over many, many replays, as they fall deeper into the universe that is Cockerel. Connecting again with multi-instrumentalist and producer Sean Read (Beth Orton, Edwyn Collins, The Pretenders) at his Famous Times Studio Gabi set to work bringing their songs to life on record. Upcoming single ‘Subterranean Stars’, one of the most representative songs on the album, catchy guitar licks flutter around trippy lyrical musings, brass refrains and a soaring string arrangement played by Basia Bartz. Following this slice of shimmering pop is ‘Genet’s Journey.’ We meet for the first time the baritone sax of Sean Read that provides a gorgeous guttural intro that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Bowie track. Next we find the first single from this album, ‘Never Never’ Gabi draws inspiration from Van Gogh and guitarist for Lou Reed and Richard Hell, Robert Quine. Gabi says, “Van Gogh & Robert Quine are both people that I admire artistically and who sadly took their own life.Side A of the 12†ends on a more intimate note with ‘Your Blues’, a song about looking out for one another and set in a dive bar suspended somewhere between heaven and hell. Opening Side B we get the sure fire single, “I Can’t Win.†In this darkly intense yet euphoric track, Gabi broaches the topic of mental health. The song draws on her own experiences, ‘that if you lean into the mania and try to draw creativity from the manic energy, it can be a destructive path.’ In Habit of Sadness, Gabi explores the merciless nature of depression and calls it ‘a song of solidarity, an awareness that a lot of people are going through a hard time and that we need to remember this and be gentle with each other.’ Sea Organ is inspired by a trip to Zadar in Croatia where there’s an organ carved into the rocks, so as the waves come in and crash around in the organ, an ethereal melancholy melody rings out. Angel of Third Avenue is a Springsteen-esque rock n roll odyssey. Our Dying World closes the album. A song that started out as being about the discrete suffering of animals and birds in the city, Gabi soon realised she was writing a song about climate change // ‘This will be amongst the best new tunes you hear all day, all week, maybe even ever.’ Chris Hawkins, BBC6 Music // “Lyrically, it’s at a level you rarely hear […] consistently brilliant and unpredictable lyrics†Cerys Matthews, BBC6 music // “A damn fine pop record†Steve Lamacq, BBC6 Music // Upcoming Dates 29th April Rockwood Music Hall, New York (acoustic), 6th May The Leadmill, Sheffield, 7th Tower Ballroom, Hull, 24th Album Launch at The Victoria, Dalston.
