The Gamits - Antidote

The Gamits remind me somewhat of Weezer with their catchy songs and clever lyric writing.

First listen to this album and you can definitely hear why the Beatles and the Beach Boys have influenced these guys. They have that solid structure of the Beatles and that fun in sun melody of the Beach Boys. This album falls into that amusing and full-of-smiles category of music. After years of success in other countries, I think it’s about time The Gamits make things happen here in the States.

You can listen to this album on the way to the beach on a bright, hot and sunny Thursday morning. You know, that long drive that is filled with anticipation as you know you are headed to the sand and water, a place that seems so unique and away from the hustle and bustle of every day life. You will easily find yourself singing or humming along to the words and music, as they are catchy in the most non-annoying way. With the windows rolled down and the wind in your face, this album can be the anthem to your summer.

The pace of this album is upbeat from beginning to end but not super fast where the songs fly right past you. There is a really nice consistency with the swiftness of the album that pulls all the songs together in a unique way. The Gamits let vocalist and guitarist Chris Fogal lead the way on this three-piece attack. The music really doesn’t do the talking here; it is the upbeat vocals that are the prominent weapon of choice. The music is fun and bubbly, yet rides on the banks of a mature, indie band sound; two things that aren’t all that connected when referring to either description. But for The Gamits, that’s what makes this album special.

The lyrics of Fogal are nothing Earth shattering but they do possess a clever quality that works within the musical style of the band. Coupled with the pace of the music, the lyrics vividly blend together. This is best displayed on the track, “Bloodstains / Picture Frames;” “Broken piano keys still make the same sound when they strike / Like they’re telling lies / They echo on and on / After a while they sound the same when they resonate / The truth was backwards in a note / The bathroom mirror told me so / Barely apart even a week / That’s how I know you lied to me”.

The Gamits remind me somewhat of Weezer with their catchy songs and clever lyric writing. There is a certain sense of taking something simple, like power pop music, and then turning it into something distinctive and adding your special spice into the music. I feel they have done that and in large part because of their front man, Fogal. They have also painted that image of heading down to that special place where the water sparkles off the sun and the sand is hot and smooth. You can’t go wrong with that.

(Suburban Home Records)