Gaptooth Sharp Minds, Raised Fists Album Review

If you combine riot grrrl with electro-pop you'll get Gaptooth.

Unapologetically outspoken, Hannah Lucy who performs under the moniker Gaptooth and hails from East London, delivers music that is more relevant and needed than ever.

Her latest album, Sharp Minds, Raised Fists, set for release on the 11th of October is lyric-driven and fiercely feminist, taking on important topics such as violence against women, consent, gender inequality and the damages of hustle culture. The catchy melody and hooks make each song memorable and the polished production makes it accessible to lovers of all sorts of genres.

The stand-out track on the album is one of the album's singles, Post Patriarchy Disco (a brilliant song name) which could well be the feminist anthem of 2019.

Gaptooth live at LOUD Women Fest 2019

Disco by name, this synth-pop high-energy song makes you want to get up and dance, juxtaposed with sad real lyrics, Post Patriarchy Disco calls out for unity and encourages listeners to fight back against the patriarchy with lyrics like: "Calling all my sisters, this is the resistance". The chorus is where the song really lifts making it a real earworm. It’s easy to imagine a room full of people dancing and singing along in solidarity at a Gaptooth gig.

They Cut, We Bleed features Sister's Uncut (an organisation fighting against cuts to women's protection services) is also a stand-out track (check out the video below!). The involvement of the recorded audio from a protest led by Sister's Uncut and use of statistics about violence against women gives this song power and highlights the reality of the situation.

Red Flags is another stand-out track that, sadly, many women can relate to. Tackling the issue of consent, Gaptooth cleverly uses dark humour to make her point with the lines “we wanna look sexy but don’t want to get murdered” and "you're toxic and not in the Britney sense" before its catchy-as-Hell chorus.

Gaptooth doesn't just focus on women's issues. I Am Not My Productivity is a very relatable and relevant song, which highlights the increase in so-called ‘hustle culture’ and the resulting stress. This is a topic that definitely hasn't garnered enough attention in music so it was great to hear Gaptooth take it on.

Her distinct sound consists of energetic electro drum beats, layered whirring synth melodies and clear vocals. However, she introduces different elements in her tracks which gives them each their own unique sound. Such a Girl has a more rocky vibe with electric guitar harmonies, hooks and licks alongside the pounding rhythm. Contrastingly, Terminal 4 sounds like something you'd hear in a nightclub at 3 a.m with its deep dark bass and layered synths.

Sharp Minds, Raised Fists should be compulsory listening. It's the perfect balance between hard-hitting vocals and catchy hooks. The songs will make you sigh, nod, get angry and sometimes even laugh but you'll want to hit repeat when it's over.