Hàn Gắn are not your typical rock-powered outfit. Hailing from Washington, D.C., the talented duo has embraced a rather lo-fi blend of rapturous post-rock allure and psychedelic melodism, often drenched in modern electronic flavourings and rebellious lyricism. It’s the case of ‘Monster’s Kingdom’, the project’s latest effort. Following up on previous single ‘Bird of Burden’, the piece is seen embracing a bolder kinetic livery, with a charming drum machine building a hypnotic rhythmic counterpoint. Han Gắn’s songwriting enters the spoken words realm, here delivered with a certain rowdiness and bold character.
It’s quite nostalgic at its core, at least when it comes to the production. It borrows from new wave and post-punk, for a final formula that’s less distorted, less rock-leaning, but equally quirky and boundary-pushing. Plus, there’s an overall lo-fi aura that makes the piece quite timeless and peculiar. Hints of post-punk rage help elevate the listening experience. The single contains a couple of B-sides: the alt-rock leaning ‘Stilyagi’ and a dub version of ‘Monster’s Kingdom’.
Explaining their observant, timely release, Hàn Gắn are adamant about taking inspiration from our complex, fractured reality, including recent events: “We looked around and turned what we saw into sound; not a hopeless world, but a wounded one, aching for healing and demanding consequences for the abuses of powerful men.”
Recommended! Discover ‘Monster’s Kingdom’ now: