Gifthorse – ‘Queens of Highgate’ EP review: shimmering synth pop meets its latest wave
In some ways, it’s all too easy to designate the medium of synth pop as a relic of 1980s nostalgia. But in reality, it’s as essential to the fabric of pop music as it ever was – and Gifthorse are just getting started.
The Skinny: For a debut EP to sound so polished, you would expect a band to possibly have previous experience treading the musical boards hidden up their sleeves. But for the London five-piece Gifthorse, fronted by the commanding tones of singer Naomi Mann, the charm of their slickness is almost a condition of their naivety to the scene.
In the span of just five punchy tracks, there is absolutely no denying who Gifthorse are and the impression they leave behind. That starts from the very first seconds of the opening track ‘Please Love Me’, an invigoratingly fresh breath of glittering synth power and youthful promise. It’s obviously shooting straight out of the blocks, but the real treat in this EP is that the energy never lets up.
To that end, it’s the essential energy of their unrelenting optimism that really puts the band on the front foot throughout the course of their debut effort. Of course, the blissful and rose-tinted rush of life being unapologetically young and in the city is not bound to wash with every demographic out there – but in the cusp between adolescence and adulthood, it’s the perfect tonic to every moment of feeling.
The sun-drenched positivity of songs like ‘Love is a Landslide’ presents a fizzing intoxication without ever becoming too overly sweet, compared to the blatantly childish nostalgia of ‘13 Going On 30’. In this sense, is it the most hard-hitting or most insightful EP you’ll ever hear in your life? No – lyrics like “I used to think 18 was old” will tell you that – but there’s something endearing to be found in that very innocent heart.
Harking back to the hedonism of pop superstardom in the 1980s on ‘Silent Disco’ is the most overt example of the synthpop power that carries all the way from back then right to the present day. Naturally, there’s an absorbance in a bubble and ignorance of the outside world, but they can’t help but lure you into that iridescent universe.
Particularly in the central pull of Mann’s vocals, and undoubtedly aided by the skilful instrumentation of Charlie Butler on guitar, Zak and Iggy Waller on drums, and Hilton Home on synth, there is an air around Gifthorse that seems reminiscent of early cut Wolf Alice in all their unbridled, quintessentially English glory.
Certainly, if that London band are anything to go by in reflecting another, but it may not be long until we see Gifthorse tearing up stages in a not so dissimilar way to their indie rock counterparts. The grit and emotional depth can come in time – but for now, let’s just sit back and enjoy the wide-eyed ride.
Standout Track: ‘Silent Disco’
The Verdict: If Queens of Highgate, their debut EP, is to set the course of Gifthorse’s trajectory, it does so with the assured confidence of a band who have been doing this for years or more. Sure, romping around the streets of London in your early 20s isn’t going to be for everyone, but for those lucky enough to indulge, there’s something indisputably exciting in that decadent dream.
Release Date: April 17th, 2026 | Producer: Andy Hughes | Label: Fitzroy Square Recordings
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