"racing mind at night / was i the one to start the fight? / every mistake on replay / was i the one to start the game? / start the game... mhmm..."
The timeless sonic iconography of "Gaslighter", by the unrelentingly scrappy, dreamy, youthful Costa Mesa, California based indie rock outfit Widows Gold, instantly makes you smile and maybe even wish that tight leather pants were in style once more (naaaw, pleather is fine really). This is to say that the 80's power pop sparks are many, the sense of tortured romance and double fisted survivorship with spiked up hairdos are for some reason fondly remembered.
Widows Gold are simply a fucking great band not afraid to be inspired by the most emotionally enticing aspects of the 80's / 90's and, maybe, retro distillations of those eras from every decade since. The chunky guitar work, the driving nature, and literally WG's songs sound so great driving, positioned against amazing vocals by Madeline Star, as pained as they are beautifully gravitational possessing the timeless ability to break hearts, is a recipe that seeps easily in the parts of your soul that craves songs that are emotionally drawn but saturated in an artful cool too.
Star sings the refrain, "hit me wear it hurts" which might make some flash on "hit me with your best shot" and like Pat Benatar's iconic hit, "Gaslighter" feels (to me) like it has legs too.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7bBv3FsdsEIPYK2sJEyHoL
https://soundcloud.com/widowsgold
https://www.instagram.com/widowsgold/
https://www.widowsgold.com/
https://widowsgold.bandcamp.com/track/gaslighter
WIDOWS GOLD provides all the nostalgia you crave from your favorite decades of music while still pushing contemporary boundaries. The female-fronted quartet blends 80s post-punk with 90s alternative rock into a refreshingly original sound that seamlessly translates from the studio to the stage.
Madeline Star’s striking vocals and passionate lyrics are supported by percussive guitar work, chorus-tinged bass lines and infectious drum grooves. The group pulls inspiration from the CBGB-era and early 00s rock revival out of New York and is bringing that energy into the Los Angeles underground. WG is meant to be listened to late, live and loud.
Widows Gold, Costa Mesa, California, indie rock, alt rock, alt pop, 80's music, 90's music, power pop, post punk, "Gaslighter" (Official Video), Madeline Star's evocative vocal countenance,
Star sings the refrain, "hit me wear it hurts" which might make some flash on "hit me with your best shot" and like Pat Benatar's iconic hit, "Gaslighter" feels (to me) like it has legs too.
LINER NOTES reveal:
"Gaslighter" is for all who have struggled through a toxic relationship.
The lyrics tackle the inner turmoil of questioning your every move and feeling set up to fail.
"Was I the one to cause the fight? Every mistake on replay. Was I the one to start the game?"
Madeline Star's emotive vocal matched with biting guitars and the relentless rhythm make this track infectiously catchy.
The band engineered, produced and mixed the track themselves featuring a sound reminiscent of The Cardigans, Metric and The Strokes.
The lyrics tackle the inner turmoil of questioning your every move and feeling set up to fail.
"Was I the one to cause the fight? Every mistake on replay. Was I the one to start the game?"
Madeline Star's emotive vocal matched with biting guitars and the relentless rhythm make this track infectiously catchy.
The band engineered, produced and mixed the track themselves featuring a sound reminiscent of The Cardigans, Metric and The Strokes.
Widows Gold has been mining this aesthetic, this sound, at least since 2021 and it would seem that their 80's sound is becoming the thing today more than ever. I don't think that this look back is popular because these kind of things are cyclical as much as the clean, yet punchy sound somehow speaks to the modern times we are in. Times when art, when fashion is not absolutely raw or specifically squeaky clean but something broadly in between. It is funny too because new wave-esque 80's atmospheres are stirring into, showing up in hip hop / rap / even country. Hmmmm, 2025 and beyond will be interesting.
Widows Gold is comprised of Madeline Star on vox, Ben Sauer on guitar, Ian Zamora on bass and Alex Oñate on drums.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7bBv3FsdsEIPYK2sJEyHoL
https://soundcloud.com/widowsgold
https://www.instagram.com/widowsgold/
https://www.widowsgold.com/
https://widowsgold.bandcamp.com/track/gaslighter
WIDOWS GOLD provides all the nostalgia you crave from your favorite decades of music while still pushing contemporary boundaries. The female-fronted quartet blends 80s post-punk with 90s alternative rock into a refreshingly original sound that seamlessly translates from the studio to the stage.
Madeline Star’s striking vocals and passionate lyrics are supported by percussive guitar work, chorus-tinged bass lines and infectious drum grooves. The group pulls inspiration from the CBGB-era and early 00s rock revival out of New York and is bringing that energy into the Los Angeles underground. WG is meant to be listened to late, live and loud.
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