Ganglians – Still Living review

After a rather quiet two year hiatus, the Sacramento-based band, Ganglians, have returned with their aptly-titled sophomore album, “Still Living”. Encompassing what seems to be a well-told story, conveyed by lead singer Ryan Grubbs, the listener embarks on a nostalgic journey through a time machine to an earlier era comprised of pop hits by the Beach Boys, and other groups of the similar genre.

The twelve-song compilation begins with “Call Me,” a fun track bound to make those within listening distance feel like they are by the ocean surrounded by several strumming guitarists doing the dance, “the swim”. Grubbs begins the trip through time by crooning, “This is a sad, sad song/ For all you sad, sad people/ Why don’t you pick up the phone and tell me what you’re going through?” However, the feel and atmosphere delivered throughout the album is anything but sad. Compared to their previous work, including Monster Head Room, Ganglians have made a well-received comeback entailing a developed and much more mature sound, embodying a similarity to that of Brooklyn-based rockers, the Dirty Projectors, who also received assistance from producer, Robby Moncrieff.

The hour-long journey continues through a sea of acoustics and simple, yet harmonious, vocals, such as “Jungle”, while meandering through a balance of up-tempo and mellow tracks. One song, “Things To Know”, stands out on its own as it portrays somewhat of a cool swagger through a mid-tempo, solid beat and heavy baseline. Fitting in perfectly with the rest of the theme of the album, Grubbs collectively describes “Still Living” as “honest music,” further stating, “Honestly, everyone feels a great range of emotions, like awkwardness and self-doubt, and not wanting to have to be cool to be cool. And that’s what these songs are like.” Many will certainly agree and enjoy the most recent work of the West Coast quartet. This overall evolved body of work and journey through time will have many fans pleased that Ganglians are “Still Living.”