Gather The Lost first started making waves online in 2022 with their digital single ‘Alone’, released to streaming services not long after the band first formed. Although the song wasn’t particularly striking on a musical level – a barrage of jangling chords on the verse and an overdriven riff on the chorus shared a huge love of 90s alternative sounds – it was clear that in Carolyn Dunne, they had a very distinctive vocalist. Throughout the four minute number, she used her voice as a powerful tool, shifting from dark croon to full cry, capable of huge volume, but also capable of sharing a truly emotive tone that didn’t quite sound like anyone else.
Over the course of several singles and a couple more years, GTL went from strength to strength in terms of both musicianship and songwriting chops. Their long awaited debut album, 2026’s ‘Silver Lining’ makes good on the band’s early promise, sharing ten riff laden songs. Drawing from a wealth of influences, including post grunge, hard rock, funk and even prog, it creates a listen that never settles, but still feels coherent thanks to a powerhouse vocalist, genuinely capable of making pretty much anything recognisable as Gather The Lost in record time.
The album’s opening number, ‘War At Dawn’ eases in with a mid tempo that provides a great vehicle for guitarist Alan Franklin, who kicks everything off with a reverbed sound that feels almost Alex Lifeson-esque, then fills the bulk track with a deep chugging groove that’s also locked into very effectively by bassist Brian Dunne. Throughout, this shows off the band’s more menacing side with ease, and Carolyn’s very theatrical voice adopts a strange and almost spooky tone to match. It’s one of those performances that could the doubters running, especially if heard here as a first listen, but it’s clear that it’s a vocal take that’s utterly committed to creating something that has a very different feel. The main riff dominates, but it’s worth keeping an ear for a softer guitar that drops light, almost proggy flourishes into the second half of the track, creating a pleasing contrast to the heavier aspects. The album offers stronger material, but on a basic level, ‘War At Dawn’ shows off a band beginning to forge their own very distinctive path. An early stand-out, ‘This Time’ opens with a wavering synth, setting a really haunting melody in place, over which Carolyn launches into a similarly spooky delivery. Countering the darkness, a world of muted guitar chords and busy rhythms take an unexpected dog-leg into a Police-like influence, before the band switch gears again to introduce a chunky, very 90s sounding alt-rock riff. It takes ‘This Time’ a long time to find its feet, but by the time the band arrive at a huge chorus, dominated by a huge vocal cry, it starts to sound like one of their more accessible numbers. Things don’t settle there: in the latter part of this epic number, the mood changes again to explore some old school melodic rock, and this proves to be the perfect backdrop for a killer lead guitar break. If you’ve connected with the band via any of their previous singles, you’ll love this.
A reworked ‘Alone’ immediately shows off a fuller guitar tone, and the earlier recording’s jangle now takes on more of a prog-tinged rock groove, bringing out the best in Alan’s playing, while Carolyn, as expected, shares a huge vocal tone. Bringing in a slightly funkier bass than before also shows how the band have grown in the interim, and a number that started out as an okay rocker now plays like a tight, groove-laden jam that works the whole band very hard, before ‘Never Home’ changes the mood, introducing quiet, shimmering guitar lines and a dark vocal to create something that’s absolutely drenched in sadness. Obviously, Carolyn’s delivery will make this clear that Gather The Lost are at work here, but the track’s bluesy lead guitar lines and pulsing, slow basslines owe far more to the melodic rock of the late 80s than anything else previously issued by the band. The old school sound is further enhanced by a blanket of organ that draws from the past, and although this feels very different to the bulk of this long player, it certainly doesn’t feel unnatural or forced in any way.
‘Watching You’, meanwhile, introduces a set of bright sounding guitar chords and a flowing vocal sharing more of an influence from soul jams. There’s something at the heart of the funk oriented arrangement that owes far more to Seattle’s Sugar Bones than The Cranberries, but those who came expecting a chunky riff or three certainly won’t be disappointed, since the chorus explodes into a meatier sounding groove that suits the piece brilliantly. Although Carolyn and bassist Brian are often the focus here, drummer Ronan Sherlock puts in a really solid performance throughout, sharing a talent that knows how powerful a solid drum sound can be when called upon to “rock out”, but more importantly, knows when to scale things back. Here, some of his subtler playing has the air of someone capable of approaching most styles with ease.
The opening of ‘Delusional’ appears rather ordinary with its mix of mid tempo melodic rock riffs and echoing guitar tones. However, things aren’t entirely what they seem: the middle of the track introduces some slightly funky basswork to give everything a lift, and there are a couple of moments between the heavier sounds that lean gently towards more of a proggy tone. It’s not the music here that wins out, though. This is given an absolutely incendiary send off thanks to its really interesting vocal. To begin with, Carolyn adopts a dark and haunting tone to fill the verse, but uses her impressive range to share a really broad sound on the chorus that, although far more theatrical than this kind of number would normally need, really helps to pull the listener further into this Irish band’s huge sounding world. As things progress, her voice becomes even bigger still, almost taking on operatic tones at the loudest points of a superb arrangement. It has all the makings of a “love it or hate it” voice, but on this recording, Carolyn relies upon fewer affectations than on something like ‘Never Home’, for example. Whether you fully tune in or not, her approach plays a vital role in making this band sound just a little different, and with a vast amount of new music appearing online every week, it’ll really help GTL to stand out.
The proggy elements peaking through the cracks of ‘Delusional’ really come into their own on the album’s title cut, which has been used very effectively as an epic album closer. The seven minute number opens with a fantastic drum groove and punchy bass notes, showcasing a great rhythm section, but Alan quickly grabs the attention with another Rush-esque guitar part, loaded with shimmering tones. Moving into something chunkier, the band then set about sharing their own take on a post-grunge riff, before dropping into a quiet verse, perfect for Carolyn’s crying vocal tones. The retro alt-rock base is peppered firther with proggy flourishes which help the chorus riff to sound like a more commercial A Perfect Circle, ensuring some listeners will take this to heart fairly quickly. With some great pop-rock tones colouring other parts of the track, and with a brilliant vocal taking centre stage, this is another album highlight.
An album absolutely brimming with atmosphere and loaded with great riffs, there’s very little filler to be found on ‘Silver Lining’. It’s a great example of how taking time over creating a new work can be vital. As the re-recorded ‘Alone’ shows, Gather The Lost are a far better band than they would have been, had an album appeared as early as 2023. For those who enjoy a more adventurous approach when it comes to hard rock/retro alternative sounds, this is an essential listen.
April 2026
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