Breaking through the sonic void with a palpable pensive force unlike anything we’ve ever processed in contemporary alternative music; the Kilwinning duo VUKOVI, exhume the trials and tribulations of yesterday, month & year once more for an audible powder keg located at the core of hopelessness, crying out for revival with their much anticipated fourth album MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN.
Having captured fans’ attention with a flurry of impressive singles, these songs further established lead vocalist Janine Shilstone’s progress in obtaining a true self-actualised version of herself, and Hamish Reilly provided the perfect instrumental accompaniment to this refreshing take on pop rock. ‘SNO’ dives deep into the soul pleading for forgiveness, all the while issuing a reminder that we are deserving of love. The title track threw caution to the wind as it gave negative thought cycles the finger, daring to exhibit themselves as depressive episodes. It’s also a PSA for taking mental health struggles seriously, while ‘GUNGHO’ & ‘MISTY ECSTASY’ are a daring reclamation of sexuality and innermost sought after desires, the true pinnacle of MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN’s success lies within the unrelenting bounds of its final track ‘BLADED’.
Acting as an expectational rebuke of sorts, ‘BLADED’ is an apocalyptic electropunk tinged heavy 90s weave through purposeful yet truly rousing overstimulation. Although mountainous and voidish in its persona, the mind’s eye conjured images of Justine in the role of a mechanical deity, an image of strength and wonder especially when we cast our minds back to what came before the rise of MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN’s deliciously provocative era.
While pondering and processing the extensive duck and weave approach of VUKOVI’s exhilarating take on the complexities of a tortured mind on MGHGAG, a profound sense of kinship seemed to appear when factoring in the possible overwhelming prescence of VUKOVI’s previous album NULA, and for good reason. Having previously described NULA as an “arduous journey through the process of unburdening”, while ensuring a safe distance from the true emotional toll its content could have had on Janine and Hamish, through the use of their intense sci-fi world building, MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN infers that it is not only representative of the further unburdening of their inner thoughts and feelings, which were first sparked with the otherworldly blasts of NULA’s tragic fate, but also their attempt to mask the true depth and breadth of their internalised pain.
This latest addition to VUKOVI‘s discography is extremely raw, visceral and at times even feral, the weight of responsibility hidden behind each and every word is crippling, the need to break free from the shackles of their past is utterly heartbreaking and it’s even more upsetting to consider all of this when placing NULA & MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN on the same pedestal. It unveils itself as the sonic equivalent of Alice on her return from Wonderland as she steps through the looking glass, NULA being the distortion of the mirror image, in other words her Wonderland and her escape, while MGHGAG presents itself as the reality post-end of the ripples contained within the frame.
It would be safe to say that VUKOVI’s latest exploration is a bold achievement in regards to its ability bridge the poignant gaps in their many attempts to free themselves from the clutches of past traumas. Although this album isn’t without its low points, which mainly pertained to some connectivity issues as far as intensity is concerned, the most important takeaway from this exploration is, forgiveness is key and personal liberation is the driver for all of us to not only survive, but to thrive magnificently.
