The Guru Guru - ‘Make (Less) Babies’ review
The Guru Guru by Eva Vlonk
You know when you chat to someone about music, and just know you’ll vibe based solely on their references? That’s how I felt chatting to the Belgian art-rockers The Guru Guru when we spoke to them at ArcTanGent Festival earlier this year about some of their favourite songs, and their new album Make (Less) Babies, out this Friday 27 October.
While I was new to their music going into ATG, and going into this record, I just knew that with musical references like that, we were in for a treat. And oh boy, does this record deliver.
Before we begin, let’s get comfortable with two phrases:
“This is my favourite song”
“Excuuuse you bass?”
With a slow build of tremolo picking guitar, Make (Less) Babies opens to “Not awake (the baseballs)” and punching drums behind Tom Adriaenssens’ vocals. Already, this is not what I expected. While the band’s live show sits a bit on the heavier, noisier, slightly-more-chaotic-side, this record sound is reminiscent of early noughties garage rock in the best way. It’s the fuzzy guitars, the lo-fi vocal distortion, and everything that first tantalised my prepubescent ears desperate for something heavier.
In the second verse, we have our first instance of “Excuuuse you bass?”, not only adding complex fills between vocal lines but utter gymnastics throughout the chorus and second verse. It’s exceedingly rare for bass to pull focus, and bassist Brent Mijnendonckx does it so well. The guitar solo towards the track end is delicious, and again, harkens back to early 2000s Albert Hammond Jr.
Even with the lyrics in hand, I don’t really know what the song is about. But how do you not dance the hardest you’ve ever danced to this jam? And, I love baseball. This is my favourite song.
From here, we move into “Jack Shit/Jackpot”. We’ve said “excuuuse you bass?” once and we’re already saying it again with what I’m now coining “Mijnendonckx-aerobics”. Only after listening to the record for weeks was I reminded that the entire piece was recorded live within the span of a few days; a colossal feat made easier when you’ve got three engineers in the band. Not only written and composed by the group, but also recorded at guitarist Jan Viggria’s studio in Hasselt, Farrm Studio with assistance from Jasper Vanden Bossche, mixed by guitarist Emiel Van Den Abbeele, mastered by Laurens Grossen and supported by a handful of friends-turned-family. An absolute testament to not only the band's talent, but overall musicianship.
I’m finding that The Guru Guru is a love story in bass and drum. Drummer Siemon Theys told me it was, but I didn’t realise how true that was until now! “Lemon-aid, Lemon-cello (bear dance)” opens with bass and drums setting the groove - that sustains for a full two minutes, before guitar enters, mirroring the bass line. This mirroring, heard throughout the album, is so beautifully simple and sexy, while allowing for poignant moments of complex, swelling phrases that punctuate the song.
Dance after dance, we move into our most chill track thus far in the record, “Supply on demand (sunshinin’ on my dinin’)”. Again we hear those beautiful bass lines under jangly guitars, creating a dreamlike groove, before moving into the album’s title track.
I’m not sorry to keep pointing to the bass and drum, but more than any other track on this record, everyone else can just sit down for “Make less babies”. Re-enter “Mijnendonckx-aerobics”. Did you know it was possible to cover the entire fretboard in one riff? Mijnendonckx makes it sound, and look, like an effortless, casual walk in the park. Supported by Theys’ punching flams, the duo drive every verse before sustained guitars enter, building together to a chaotic chorus release. The album’s third single, this is the first track in the lineup that’s lyrically direct. Adriaenssens has said about the lyrics, “This song could be a modern take on the 10 Commandments. A modern Guru doesn’t command anything—they share suggestions. Suggestions and tips that could help people save the earth and humanity a little.”
For any listeners who consider themselves ‘all about the riffs man’ could learn many things from The Guru Guru. Jan Viggria’s harmonic riff opening the next track, “In 2073 (plenty of other fish in the sea)”, is frankly, insane. Its complex component parts create a repeated line that will scratch every inch of your noggin. We can also hear why Adriaenssens would be inspired to write about something water-related, with the tones giving almost Miami Vice-vibe. This is my favourite song.
“Saint-Tropez” was the second single released in support of the album, and I actually LOL’d when I heard it. Lyrically, it’s the most tongue-in-cheek track, looking at the effects of the cost of living crisis on the super rich. Phrases like “I’m sure gonna miss you guys, but I guess it’s time” are sung with such genuine longing, I nearly believed the sentiment before listening closely to the lyrics about giving up your extra holiday home by the sea.
I thought I actually found my singular favourite song with our next track, “Lotta tension”. The most garage / almost indie sleaze of the bunch, this lead single features all the quintessential Guru elements: bass-aerobics, punching drums and accelerated fills, gritty guitars, singing guitar harmonics, all together building into a chaotic wall of sound. To me, it’s reminiscent of very early The Strokes, a sound I deeply love. To Thom, he gets We Are Scientists. Either way, the track is both angular and smooth, punchy and fluid. Guru’s ability to transition between styles within the same song is yet another testament to the groups musicianship.
I suppose you could class “Oh, me (I can't complain)” as the only ballad in the record’s collection. The repeating “Me, I can’t complain, I really can’t complain” flows over chugging guitar and a bright guitar counter melody makes me wish this song went on for far longer so I could get lost in that layering. I’m not sure why, but there’s something both consoling and calming about it. This is my favourite song.
But then, we land on the record’s final track “Joke’s on you (under over)”. THIS has to be my favourite song. Right? It’s a track I think I understand to be about the fallacy of capitalistic self-importance. Halfway through, we reach my favourite part; I’m a sucker for a prog rock build. In unison, the bass, guitars and drums build like someone beating their chest, while Adriaenssens sings and screams through a list of all the reasons why the protagonist is deserving of attention and adoration. Ultimately, their desire and belief is hollow because they’ve tried to buy, not happiness, but accolades and status. I just love it.
With Make (Less) Babies), The Guru Guru have created an album that's got just about every element you could want (or I could want): danceable beats, mindbending riffs, grungy guitars, beautifully layered harmonics and abstract lyrics that actually make you think. I’ve been dancing to this record in my kitchen for two months now, and that won’t be stopping anytime soon. Make (Less) Babies is definitely making the list of one of my top releases this year.
Make (Less) Babies from The Guru Guru is out 27 October via Humus Records in collaboration with A Tant Rêver Du Roi Records. Catch The Guru Guru on tour in Europe through the remainder of 2023, and back in the UK in February 2024.
27/10/23: La Cave Aux Poetes, Roubaix (FR) w/ It It Anita
28/10/23: Fri-Son, Humus fest, Fribourg (CH)
31/10/23: La Ferronnerie, Pau (FR)
01/11/23: Rise & Fall Festival, Niort (FR) w/ Birds In Row
02/11/23: Sortie 13, Pessac (FR)
03/11/23: Quai M, La Roche Sur Yon (FR) w/ Birds In Row
04/11/23: Le Florida, Agen (FR) w/ It It Anita
09/11/23: Farrm, Hasselt (BE)
10/11/23: L'Antre Peaux, Bourges (FR) w/ It It Anita
11/11/23: Le Ferrailleur, Nantes (FR) w/ Birds In Row
16/11/23: Chinastraat, Gent (BE)
01/12/23: Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers (FR)
02/12/23: Connexion Live, Toulouse (FR)
08/12/23: Fluor, Amersfoort (NL)
09/12/23: V11, Rotterdam (NL)
15/12/23: La Zone, Luik (BE)
16/12/23: Paul B, Massy (FR) w/ Psychotic Monks
24/02/24: Shacklewell Arms, London (UK)
The Guru Guru is comprised of Tom Adriaenssens (vocals), Siemon Theys (drums), Jan Viggria (guitar and vocals), Brent Mijnendonckx (bass), Emiel Van Den Abbeele (guitar vocals).
