With today being a very important day (Trans Day Of Visibility) it’s only right that I write about the new (and gorgeous) record by the finest band from Bristol; Oh, The Guilt. Their new record came out on Friday, and it’s one of the most important records we will get this year. It is dark, heavy, and vital. It is a solid work of art that hits you right in the gut.

Firstly, you should know that the record was mastered by Ben Chisholm (of Chelsea Wolf) so that alone is a sign that the record is unreal. This is the band’s debut record, and to have someone like Ben master it shows you just how well loved, respected and talented the band are. I hope this record reaches the trans kid in the middle of nowhere and realizes that there is hope and a future out there for them. Even though the media (and government) continuously try to erase the trans community on a daily basis. We have bands like Oh, The Guilt who are so important and records like this show it gets better and you can be who you are, and who you deserve to be.

Every song on this record is entirely dreamy, and it’s evident on (my current favourite) Blue. I love how it sounds like a 90s dreamy number with touches of Shoegaze. In a way, it’s like Beach House meets Mazzy Star. That’s the general feel I get from this song and in parts, a lot of the record feels that way. Jules’ drumming on this is exceptional. It’s like waves crashing into rocks, but it’s balanced out with the calmness of the guitar. It’s like a dream swimming round your head on a loop. It’s a gorgeous song, and the vocals will soothe your soul. It’s perfect, and I think it’s one of those songs you play through headphones and close the world out to. Blue features Elijah’s vocals pre-transition, and I touch on further down his vocals on the re-recording of Darkest Days.

It then picks up on Bella, and this is where the bands Grunge influences really kick in. I love how the band can give you this wave of calmness but they can also hit you with this beautiful rowdy sound.  I know I said Blue is currently my favourite but I’m putt Bella as a close second. You can just imagine it going OFF when they play this live. It’s got this feel to it that makes you want to just throw things around without a care in the world, and move your body around in a way that you’ve not done in a while.

I’m going to skip to the end of the record for this part. The record ends with the euphoric The Path and features the Phoenix Song Project- which are is a music therapy project run by and for members of trans and non-binary communities in Bristol. This is the most perfect way to end the record; it is full of hope and love. Again, it’s the song I hope a trans kid (or adult) in the middle of nowhere hears and knows that there is a community out there for them that will love and support them endlessly. It is honestly the most gorgeous and perfect way to close their stunning debut record, which has been a long time coming.  I hope Jules, Kit and Elijah are aware of the impact that this record will have. It’s a truly powerful record, and it exudes trans and queer joy- something that is so needed right now.

There is a new version of Darkest Days on the record, which has post-transition vocals from Elijah. It is again another euphoric song, and musically it reminds me so much of The Velvet Underground. That drastic build on the drums and everything just coming together is so powerful.  It all clashes with this build and you can hear just how exceptionally talented Kit, Jules and Elijah are. You can hear perfectly on this record in general just how phenomenal they are, but the re-recording of this song shows you how far they’ve come as a band and as individuals on their own journey.

What I love about this record is that you can hear the growth of Kit, Jules, and Elijah. You can hear this beautiful confidence in every song and in a way, this doesn’t feel like a debut record. They’ve been making music for so long together, it’s hard to grasp that we’ve only just got their debut record but my god it was worth the wait. This record really shows how far they have come and I think from keeping vocals on some songs that were pre-transition, it really shows the importance of the record and how powerful they are as a band. You can hear the confidence too; as a band and as individuals and it is so inspiring and wonderful to hear it. I could spend hours and hours writing about this record, but honestly? It’s probably best you take the time to listen to it. Shut the world off, and just get lost in this divine record created by 3 beautiful human beings.

Every song on this record is a journey. Every song on this record is for a community that are constantly being pulled apart every single day. So, if you do anything this Trans Day of Visibility; support organisations such as NotAPhase and you know- buy the Oh, The Guilt record!