Alanna Gurr & The Greatest State
Guelph’s folk-indie band Alanna Gurr & The Greatest State is a minimalist rock group that brings rawness to their new album, Late At Night, with their resourceful and talented use of few instruments and sultry vocals. Late At Night was released this past April, and the group has just finished a vinyl-release tour that occurred throughout October.
The album’s first track, “Swimmer,” serves as a beautiful song to open the record with, and provides the listener with an irresistible taste of Alanna Gurr’s amorous voice. Gurr’s voice comes to almost a whisper in the softness of the album’s third track, “Hell or High Water.”
The beat rapidly picks up in “Golden Coast,” followed by a desire to get away that brings a sense of empowerment to the track. Later in the album, “Trouble” is accompanied by a strong blues-guitar presence and soulful background vocals, and completed by a powerful hauntingness that possesses Gurr’s voice throughout the track.
Alanna Gurr’s soothing vocals, followed by lulling background vocals puts a soul-spin to the album’s overall folk sound. The group’s twangy riffs, steady drumming, and strong pedal steel presence tie everything together to create the perfect minimalist record, which can only be accomplished successfully by true musical talent.
