ĠENN – unum

With their debut album unum, ĠENN have shaken off all comparisons to their post-punk and noise-rock contemporaries and established themselves as a wholly unique act with their tantalising blend of psychedelic rock, Maltese folk and jazz, all bound together by the band’s technical prowess.

unum has an impressive musical and lyrical range, varying from the literary Calypso to the more recognisable and relatable A Reprise (That Girl). The former features impressive storytelling through such whispered, poetic language as ‘The pillars of my chest quiver in silence / nauseous, out of breath / acquiring the space between us’ that transport you far away from the mundane. The latter looks at a more everyday topic, analysing our tendency to compare ourselves to the people we see online. It uses that same ominous poetry and instrumental skill that makes unum work as a single cohesive unit despite the variety of genres throughout. The complexity of their sound doesn’t take away from their ability to make catchy songs, as album opener Rohmeresse proves.

The technical skill and musical talent of ĠENN is indisputable, far exceeding what's expected of guitar bands; unum is a hypnotic and consistently enticing album that will stay with you long after you’ve finished listening.

Listen to: Rohmeresse, Calypso, A Reprise (That Girl)