The Gitas: Garland Review

By Matt Bates
Photos Courtesy of The Gitas

The latest album release, Garland, from Orange County natives, The Gitas, is a perfect blend of old-school rock with new-school hipster appeal. Introductory track “Brand New Life” opens with a heartbeat as the soothing vocals of singer/guitarist Sasha Chemerov leads us to a catchy chorus and we get an ‘easy feeling everything is great.’ The impressive trio blends a fuzzy sound of rock with an elegant splash of Seattle grunge. The big production is impressive considering the band consists of three members. Drummer Brittany Maccarello holds her own providing a steady backbone while offering listeners tastefully executed and seemingly effortless drum fills. Bass player Sal Ramazzini locks in and holds down the booming low-end sprinkled with precise runs that fill your headphones. The Gitas offer the perfect amount of dirty alt-rock and SXSW charm every KROQ artist has missed the mark on. They set themselves apart from the over polished cookie-cutter rock tunes spinning on national radio stations.

Garland flows from the intro track to a slow but steadily paced “Black Crows.” This is your new whiskey drinking jam at the end of the working week. The hypnotizing lyrics make you want to break from the stress of the week and soar with happiness. An eerie bridge leads us right back into the chorus and we can’t help shouting along. The single from Garland “Mood for Love” displays Sasha’s more raspy vocal talent in the vein of Kurt Cobain but the smooth accented falsetto sets the song apart. This is noticeably the most upbeat track on the album and displays the bands more Pop-oriented side. “Precious Day” is a heavy rock track that does not quit. From beginning to end the energy takes hold of you and the vocals erupt. Huge hard-hitting drums and gain turned up to 11—the band sounds like they will jump through your speakers to get their message across. Sasha’s vocal cords nearly rip apart by the time we get out of the heavy half-timed riff-laden bridge to the song’s end. Do yourself a favor and check out their new album Garland today.

Keep up to date with The Gitas here: www.thegitas.com