Saure Gurken – “Club Jam” / “So Long”
Saure Gurken – “Club Jam” / “So Long” – Singles Review
Gurken’s gonna Gurken…and we’d be silly to expect anything otherwise.
Happy this crazy crew is back in action more regularly now. Those of you that know the history, know we first reviewed this band way back in 2015, and it wasn’t until nearly a decade later that we heard from them again when they resurfaced last year with singles “Audiospawn” and “Don’t Shoot.” Now it IS officially a decade later since our first review, give or take a couple months, and they’re back (kinda) with a couple new singles. I say kinda because one of’em is six months old, the other was released two months ago, and then naturally, I get the heads up about’em last night with half the details I’d need to do a review for you today. What has any band rushing to be reviewed when they’ve had all that time to do it beforehand? Y’all don’t even know how bizarre this life I lead is. It’s held together by duct tape.
But like I said at the start…Gurken’s gonna Gurken…it’s what they do.
What kind of shocked me about listening to “Club Jam,” the newest of the two singles I’ve got here from Saure Gurken, is that they’ve got like…an absolutely brilliant hook in the guitars you’ll hear at the start of this song, and that’ll be the last time you hear it before it’s over. I cannot stress this enough – ANY other band or artist that came up with that part, delivered in crazy harmonics and scratches, would have built their entire song around that moment…it’s fresh, it’s exciting, it’s NEW – and Saure Gurken tosses it to the floor like clothing after getting home from the bar on a Friday night. If that was in favor of like, something else that was as fresh, exciting, and new…I mean, I’d probably get it…I’d understand…but Saure Gurken heads back to their safe space of Classic Rock-inspired sound from there forward. Don’t get me wrong, ultimately “Club Jam” is solid from start to finish and I’m not really complaining so much as I’m just a little surprised. You hear a moment like they’ve got at the start of “Club Jam” and you want a whole lot more of it, whereas the bulk of the song is certainly reminiscent of so many other things we’ve heard throughout the history of Rock & Roll. They’ve found a space that seems to fit comfortably between the colorfully Psychedelic vibes you’d find in the 13th Floor Elevators & the personality-driven, performance-minded gear you’d find in something more straightforward like Van Halen. Saure Gurken occupies the space between, an island unto themselves, doing what they do because they love to do it. And long may they run! I’ll admit, it’s not the kind of sound that usually ends up on my own personal playlists, but I’ve always had a soft spot for this crazy crew. They do what they do with the kind of genuine commitment that I wanna hear to be honest…Saure Gurken never phones anything in, and my ears appreciate that immensely. They don’t sound like a band that’s ripping off the Classic Rock sound – they freakin’ go in to OWN it like they were a part of the era, and I suppose that’s what seems to get me onboard with songs like “Club Jam.” They’ve got their original lineup back in action for these songs, with Quaziq providing those exceptional guitar parts at the start and the crunchy chords to follow, Vance up front on the mic delivering the spot-on sound of the quintessential frontman for a Rock-based band, and Josh King keepin’ them all from coloring too far outside of the lines with his steady beats from the throne. I really felt like Vance nailed this moment brilliantly in terms of how he sings this song…it’s a perfect match between the over-the-top personality he creates and the lyricism he’s written for “Club Jam.” Like, normally, I’d probably be a lot more on the fence about the lyrics in this song, but because Saure Gurken is doing all the right things and found a way to make this all make sense, I’m all for it. That being said, Quaziq gives Vance a solid run for his money with the innovation he reveals at the start of this song, and the absolutely stellar solo he goes on to play around the 2:30 mark of “Club Jam.” It all works though…this is as cohesive as a song can be from concept to execution, and they should be proud of that. It sounds like it’s a complete riot to play live, and I’m sure that it is. Gurken’s gonna Gurken.
As far as “So Long” is concerned, I felt like Saure Gurken displayed a bit more maturity at the core of the actual songwriting & lyricism combined. Nailing it right from the very first line of the song, where Vance sings “I told her not to go, but there ain’t no convincing a stray to come home” – I love that! It’s solid imagery, it’s got emotion, it’s poetic…it’s got a great combination of bittersweet melody to it, which really embodies the whole spirit & vibe that “So Long” goes on to create. It’s about saying goodbye for the most part I reckon…be it somewhat unwillingly…parting is such sweet sorrow, as they say I suppose. This is a quality tune though, no doubt about that…and it feels like it showcases a different side of Saure Gurken’s sound than we typically know them to create. There’s undeniable depth to “So Long” that’s very well-conceived, very well thought-out…you can feel an added weight to this song that’s considered and measured and balanced…I’m all for it. Now…the tricky part of a situation like this though, is that just because you’re flexing a musical muscle you might not normally, doesn’t mean that automatically translates into everyone tuning in all of a sudden, you know what I mean? Because if we’re talking about accessibility…I’m probably gonna side with “Club Jam” as being the more likely of the two to make an impression on the masses out there. Having said that, when it comes to those out there that listen for different qualities outside of energy, hooks, and catchiness…people looking for sincerity, authenticity, and melody instead…chances are, you’re going to really like what you find on “So Long” by comparison. I also think their peers…fellow musicians and songwriters…they’d likely be more into a cut like “So Long” too, because it really does show there’s a lot more to Saure Gurken than meets the eye. There is a lot less to do for Josh in this song of course…the percussion is minimal and very subtle when it comes right down to it, practically in the style you’d hear in an unplugged performance with brushes and shit…King handles his business, just more delicately this time around. Quaziq does a great job with a very clean performance, which in turn allows for Vance to deliver some of the best we’ve heard from the guy so far. Essentially, you’ve got two very different tracks from Saure Gurken this time around, but two that speak very strongly on behalf of what they can do, and two that show the band continues to grow, evolve, and refine their material in the right ways that’ll connect with the people out there listening. Each cut will probably appeal to you in different moods at different times, but there’s nothing wrong with that…that’s pretty natural when it comes to singles, and especially in cases where they’ve been released far apart from each other like “So Long” and “Club Jam” have been. No complaints from me though…no notes…I’m happy with how both of these tunes came out & Saure Gurken should be too.
Find out more about Saure Gurken from their page at Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/sauregurkenband
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