GALLANT - Ology

A week ago Gallant performed on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show, currently the most popular talk show in America alongside James Corden's. The effect, for now, hasn't gone viral the way it did for Janelle Monae or Future Islands when they appeared on Letterman, but it's fair to say the guy really put on a show: he sang his heart out and jumped on the couch like a madman, though still with a faint trace of unease in his eyes – it was like watching James Brown in the grip of a nervous breakdown. Then again, a national TV debut must be an intimidating experience for anyone.

Young Gallant's current state of mind can be read on the cover of this “Ology”, probably one of the most telling of the year so far: the foggy grey tone and the face half-hidden behind a pout bring us back to the image of an insecure young man caught up in existential blues, much as we glimpsed on the spectral debut Ep “Zebra” (2014), which recalled the early The Weeknd. But the pout on “Ology” has been painted gold, as if to signal an awareness of his own talent and abilities – a lightbulb moment that surely must have gone off when Gallant found himself singing “Blue Bucket Of Gold” with Sufjan Stevens and, more recently, hosted Seal on stage at Coachella, exponentially widening his audience.

Anyone who delves into “Ology” can confirm that Gallant has no shortage of talent, and that for once the hype might actually be deserved. His performances unfold with real commitment, and his voice can soar into a falsetto that's downright dizzying, yet never slips into the usual talent show vocal gymnastics; his most natural point of reference might be Maxwell, who must indeed have felt the heat, given that he's decided to make a comeback right now after years of silence. One thing's for sure: “Jupiter” really does sound like it was lifted straight from him.

But elsewhere Gallant doesn't dwell too much on romantic indulgence; it's his restlessness that takes over on tracks with telling titles like “Shotgun” (a gorgeous chorus), or the boozy pairing of “Bourbon” and “Counting”. When his voice takes centre stage instead, we get overwhelming moments like “Weight In Gold” and “Talking To Myself”, while toward the end there's no shortage of a faint drum'n'bass hint (“Percogesic”) and a lovely string flourish (“Chandra”) scattering a bit of gold dust around.

What can be held against “Ology” is songwriting that's perhaps a touch too conventional, but above all a certain monotony in the production, handled mainly by STiNT and labelmate ZHU. Gallant's songs rightly pivot around his voice and an always impassioned delivery, but at times it would have been worth bringing those strings further forward, or giving a different timbre to the synths, which stay a little too far in the background while still shaping the sound of the piano and guitars, draining some brightness out of the acoustic mix. Indeed, the best moment on the whole record arrives with “Skipping Stones”, the only track in the tracklist produced by the hugely skilled Adrian Younge, and enriched by the arrival of a guest of honour – Jhené Aiko – who steps in on the second half of the track: without a doubt one of the finest moments of the year.

Let's not forget, though, that this is still a debut album made on a not-so-generous budget. Gallant is still very young but already shows all the hallmarks of a fresh, genuine talent that is (thankfully) still evolving; if the rest of America starts paying attention too, we'll certainly be hearing great things from him in the future.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

23/05/2016