Gossamer - Deadhead

​Gossamer

Deadhead
self-released; 2016

​3.6 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Bryson Smith (guitar/vocals), James Hunt II (bass) and Michael Bailey (drums) are Gossamer. The band released a lo-fi four-song EP entitled Deadhead. They are a rock band that fuse together other sub-genres. These four songs feel light hearted and fun. That was the initial feeling I got.

​“Djoker” has elements of prog rock, metal and even some jazz in there. I felt like the song worked fusing these fairly disparate styles. The first verse involves some snapping fingers and a vocal style that is on the verge of scat.

As the song progresses it opens up with dynamics. They introduce some pop and rock elements into the mix. The music goes full metal towards the end which was kind of fun. 

“Lurk”  is a track that just starts up sounding like straight metal not too from System of a Down. It’s swampy and aggressive. It has a more serious feel than the first song. They turn into a ska band for a couple of seconds before going back to being a metal act. 

“Lemon” is a much less heavy sounding song. It’s almost a straight up pop with some jazzy flirtations. They close with a metal/ska song  which is spooky in a Scooby Doo kind of way. He sings “Rattlebones! To live I need to separate the skin from Bone! To live without my love I’d end up Dead! No one really knows you like the voices in your head! No one really knows you like the voices in your head!”

I like that Gossamer is trying to blend different styles. They do it quite successfully. That being said the band’s sound of what they are is a lot more loose. I’d like to hear them figure out to combine the styles into a sound which is undeniably them. Overall, there is some talent here and with some tweaking and an upgrade in the recording quality they will be on the right track.

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