Gustaf, Pit

There have already been a host of great albums released in 2024, but few of them stand out from the pack like Gustaf’s sophomore LP, Package Pt. 2. Singer Lydia Gammill instantly grabs listeners with snarling arch talk-sung vocals presented with a commanding shake-you-awake force. Throughout much of the record her vocals are mirrored and seemingly interact with deep, almost sinister vocal echoes that sound akin to a vocal filter to hide the voice of someone in witness protection. It creates an unsettling vibe that the rest of Gammill’s Brooklyn bandmates accentuate with twitchy, jittery no-fi instrumental accents of off-kilter guitar bursts and pulsating bass. A bit like if Kathleen Hanna fronted early era Talking Heads, Gustaf packs an art punk punch that eschews complacency and shouldn’t be missed.

Gustaf • Wed, May 1 at 9 pm • $15 • 21+ • District Bar • 916 W. First Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com