Backing up massive pop hooks with total rockstar energy, the Caught Up & Confused EP from MarthaGunn is stacked with anthems dedicated to the catharsis of moving on.
MarthaGunn are relatively new, but they’re ticking all the right boxes. After inking a deal with Communion Records (Catfish & The Bottlemen, Laurel) in 2019 they released their debut Saint Cecilia, showcasing everything the band was about; a passion bred for the big stage and empowering lyrics courtesy of lead singer Abi Woodman.
Aside from Abi the band is Max, Humphrey, Ally, and Frankie, five best friends from the UK who’ve harnessed the most song-worthy moments of their youth – failed relationships, adolescent euphoria, successful relationships, the uncertainty of growing – into a brilliant new EP. Titled Caught Up & Confused, it’s both a mirror in which any millennial adult will see a part of themselves, and a bible for making sense of our weird-ass times.
MarthaGunn have cited Fleetwood Mac as an influence, but thankfully their inter-band drama has been a cut below old Mac’s. Speaking about the EP, Abi shared:
“We’ve all had our fair share of successful and unsuccessful relationships through our 20s so far, but the one thing that has stayed the same throughout has been this band and our friendship.”
“We’ve really been each other’s rocks at times and this EP to us feels like an emergence. A bit of light. There is strength and weakness represented.”
Throughout the tracklist you’ll be privy to this tour; a journey through the formative years of five young friends making music and sharing their most intimate experiences with one another. Relatability is paramount to the EP – while these musicians may have grown up in the UK, the moments and stories they’ve cherry-picked to tell are ones experienced by us all.
Not to mention the current circumstances we find ourselves in – we’re all a little caught up and confused, to say the least. Maybe accidentally, MarthaGunn have released their new EP at a critical time for anyone evaluating those around them and the direction their life is headed.
It’s Over, Caught Up & Confused, and We Don’t Need Each Other are all anthems for moving on, tunes to stop your looking in the rearview and fixing your gaze forward to better things.
All this is delivered in a package reminiscent of HAIM or Christine and the Queens; a totally assured, confident melding of pop and rock sentiments. Each song’s catharsis is realised in big chorus hooks, Abi’s vocals backed up by her bandmates for some truly crowd pleasing, sing-a-long moments.
But you can’t have release without tension, something the band generates in spades. Percussion is punchy and rarely lets up, either chugging along like the ever-present backbeat of a Killers hit or slowing up for a lackadaisical, swinging beat that’s a little closer what you’d expect from a Fleetwood Mac-influenced five-piece.
If you’ve been Caught Up & Confused lately, I’m not saying this EP will be a cure, but throw it on loud and you’ll walk out feeling that little bit better. And for even that, I reckon MarthaGunn will be grateful.
Caught Up & Confused is out now via Communion Records/Caroline Australia. Stream or purchase your copy here.
