Gallowstreet: A Trip Worth Making

A great deal of power can be generated by saxophones and brasses played in unison. That power can be directed in different ways. The Dutch band Gallowstreet have decided on the route of maximum impact. Focusing on innovation rather than improvisation, they identify as a brass band but incorporate elements of jazz, electronics and dance beats. It makes them a formidable unit, mixing styles and redefining the typical idea of a brass band.

Originally an Amsterdam street parade ensemble, they have honed their tunes over numerous European tours and festival appearances. The songs from their previous four albums are often used as a template, copied and covered by young brass bands worldwide. A Trip Worth Making is their fifth album. The band, anchored by the drums of Colin Vermeulen and the sousaphone of Peter Keijsers, consists of trumpeters Luc Janssens and Bo Floor together with trombonists Jeroen Verberne and Odei Al-Magut. The line-up is completed by Dirk Zandvliet on baritone sax and flute and Lucas Van EE on tenor sax and synths.

The album contains nine tracks of turbo-charged anthemic brass and hard-hitting beats, backed by electronics. The opening track, "Assemble!," grabs one's attention immediately before slowly building through modern dance rhythms, synths and sharply timed brass riffs. Melodic horns sway into the introduction to "Phoenix." Propelled by the shifting rhythms of Vermeulen's drums, this anthemic track builds through swinging horn choruses and electronics.

Vermeulen keeps the energy high, bringing rock-style drive over Van Ee's synths in "Proper Hired Guns." Rhythmic sousaphone combined with trumpet and trombone choruses brings the thrills to this James Bond-style theme. It builds to a climactic crescendo, leaving traditional frames of reference for brass bands in tatters. The introduction to "Hungry" sounds like 1980s pop before building a hip-hop-like beat with Zandvliet's flute combining well with Keijsers' sousaphone.

Reflecting the commitment to keeping a band together for over a decade, the title track's soulful sway gives way to infectious tight horn riffs. It is superbly executed, inspirational and innovative. Elsewhere on the album, there are elements of disco, electronic beats, funk and Ibiza, before a short melancholic reflection closes the album.

It could be easy to overlook that behind the exhilarating and upbeat nature of these tunes are some technically impressive musicians. They straddle the divisions between multiple genres, creating a swaggering juggernaut of a band that brings the feel-good factor to every track.

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