Album Review: GUM - Out In The World

Jay Watson of Tame Impala and Pond fame drops the latest instalment of his solo side hustle, GUM. Something of a quiet achiever, it’s hard to believe that this is Watson’s fifth long-player since things kicked off for GUM back in 2014. 

This album comes with a soft folksy '60s vibe, set adrift on dreamy psychedelic synthesisers that gently bubble and fizz as much as they blast through the galaxy. 

As the principal architect of this record, Watson has crafted a sound that feels like a magnificent sonic edifice that impresses with its grandeur. It’s in the epic scale of these immersive sounds that Watson seemingly drifts into more personal introspective rumination. 

The blueprint is redolent of Pink Floyd but crafted for a different generation of listeners. Starting with our feet on the ground, Weightless In LA is a helium-light folksy tune. After floating above it all, Watson launches us into outer space on jets powered by abstract synth squiggles. 

From the electro-funk of Airwalkin’ through to the softly hopeful Make Your Own Luck, Watson moves from sadness and loneliness to contemplate silver linings and new beginnings.