You may know Australian psych-rock musician Jay Watson for his band POND or for being a touring Tame Impala member. Watson also makes music of his own under the name GUM. Despite the name, Watson doesn't have any direct connection to Stereogum. We'd never go the all-caps route. As far as I know, Watson doesn't have any direct connection to the great Tennessee hardcore band Gumm, either. It's just a name. Anyway, a new GUM album is on the way.
Jay Watson released the GUM album Saturnia in 2023, and he followed it by collaborating with King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard's Ambrose Kenny-Smith on the 2024 LP Ill Times. Blue Gum Way arrives in less than a month, and its new single "Celluloid" is a excellently spacey rhythmic zone-out. I am into this one. Watson says, "Everything feels worse in the middle of the night, it’s where peak worry and catastrophizing happens. Exacerbated by a slow death from blue screen light and brain rot."
The Kristofski-directed "Celluloid" video is one long, slow zoom-in through beautiful golden-hour light. Below, you'll find that clip, the previously released album track "Expanding Blue," and the Blue Gum Way tracklist.
TRACKLIST:
01 "Man Alive"
02 "Phosphene Scream"
03 "Expanding Blue"
04 "In Life"
05 "Man Ray Bay"
06 "Celluloid"
07 "It Happens Almost Every Day"
08 "Outrider"
09 "New Equator"
Blue Gum Way is out 3/6 on p(doom). Pre-order it here.
