Militarie Gun broke through with Life Under the Gun, an infectious blend of indie and hardcore that won me over after seeing the band play live. Once those tracks got their hooks in me, I’d leave it on repeat all afternoon. Lead singer and lyricist Ian Shelton is a triple threat: a compelling vocalist, a clever lyricist, and hook-writing machine.
After playing nearly all the major music festivals and touring with everyone from Manchester Orchestra to Bad Religion, the group are poised to grow their audience even more with God Save the Gun, and they deliver big time. There are some new wrinkles in this set of songs, but if you loved Militarie Gun’s previous work, you will be singing along after a few listens this time, too. It’s an excellent, aggressive indie record with genuine heart.
The relentless pace evidently took a toll on Shelton, as evidenced by the songs on God Save the Gun. In the press release, he is candid about how this song cycle is mainly about his struggles with alcohol as a coping mechanism on the road. The album cover cheekily tips their hand, a black and white image of him in a robe, arms outstretched, but made up to look like he’s had his ass kicked, and judging by the lyrics, he seems to have been, metaphorically.
God Save the Gun is produced and engineered by Riley MacIntyre, who’s’ worked with Adele and the Kills. The record sounds enormous, but not overproduced, and the flourishes that the band adds to its signature mix of aggression and accessibility never feel like they are reaching past their grasp. Shelton might be singing about being dragged through hell much of the time, but the music delivers a feast of hooks that alternately complements and buffers the grim lyrics.
The record begins with a brief, somber interlude from Shelton that sets the tone, then the album takes off with the distorted drums of “B A D I D E A” and they seemingly pick up right where they left off, with an infectious chorus augmented by synths and hand claps. “Fill Me Up with Paint” adds programmed drums to their trademark sound. “Throw Me Away” has a massive hook of a chorus and a nod to Guided by Voices in the lyrics. I can’t wait to be dodging stage divers and singing along at the top of my lungs.
Much like its predecessor, the middle of the record is where the best tracks, and the biggest swings, are. “God Owes Me Money” leans even harder into the synths, with an almost new wave sound, but there’s a darkness in the lyrics that gives the song some gravitas. “Daydream” is an affecting ballad that features strings that discusses the cycles of addiction in Shelton’s family. “Kick” could fit on Life Under the Gun, a mid-tempo rager with images of couples fighting and repeating the same cycles. “Laugh at Me” is a pop song that recalls Jimmy Eat World. “Wake Up and Smile” is another pop gem that sounds destined to reach a bigger audience.
“I’m Gonna Murder Your Friend” is a harrowing track about Shelton’s suicidal ideation, devoid of any romanticism about tortured artists. Taking this angle gives the song a unique perspective, and it is matter-of-fact in a way that recalls the raw realism of Drive-By Truckers‘ classic “Lookout Mountain”. When Shelton sings, “I don’t want to see the look on your face / So I guess I’ll stay,” it stings. You feel awful for him, and for anyone who might have discovered him if he went through with it. Perhaps using a sample of David Choe talking about Anthony Bourdain is a bit much, but it’ll be worth it if one person hears this and decides not to take that step. It’s a haunting track and one of their best.
After a brief interlude, “I Thought You Were Waving” is another anthemic gut punch. Shelton describes being too caught up in his own problems to see that someone close to him was struggling. The title is followed by “Turns out you were drowning”. Hurting as well, Shelton offers “Pull me down, just save me next time.” At a time when men are still struggling to deal with their feelings, and we are bombarded with memes about the lengths they will go to avoid talking about themselves, this might actually reach some people who need it.
Like another band with roots in hardcore who hit it big, Turnstile, it seems silly to call Militarie Gun hardcore at all at this point, but that’s not a criticism. They never truly fit in that world, anyway, even though that was where they first cultivated a following. Shelton’s unblinking confessions are harrowing, and it’s cathartic for us, too, who have no doubt shared at least some of these feelings, but without the songs to back them up, this could come off as wallowing or self-indulgent.
Fortunately, Shelton seems to be coming out of it by the end of the record, dispensing hopeful messages to others in the closer “God Save the Gun”, a towering track that ends on “If you want to keep your life, gotta let it go”. Good, because I want him to be okay and I need to hear where this talented band goes next.