Hugo Race Fatalists - I Made It All Up For You [Gusstaff Records]

Scheduled for release via the ever growing Polish Gusstaff Records label on March 20th, 2k26 is "I Made It All Up For You", the forthcoming ten track album project by the Hugo Race Fatalists - another collaborative offshoot amongst many others thought up and dreamt up by Melbourne-born yet world travelling jack of many musical trades known as Hugo Race. Over the course of roughly 44 minutes Race and a plethora of collaborating artists explore a surprisingly accessible, yet still dark'ish and intimate fusion of Alternative Rock and echoes and echoes of Goth-leaning atmospheres with the most beautiful opener "Against The World" which feels like a love child bands like The Convent, The Cult and R.E.M. could create in a cult setting baptized by DesertRock whereas pieces like "Broken Love" dive deep into stripped down, heart-felt emotions rolled out over a subdued instrumental backing at the very far end of the mix whilst "I Was Born To Fly" turns out to be an intimate amalgamation of thoughtful, inward-looking DesertRock and elements of deep Folk elements with an additional Country-leaning banjo twang backed by yearning electric guitars for roadtrips into the middle of nowhere. Furthermore "45 In The Shade" weighs in a surprisingly muscular AltRock ballad sprinkled with memories of Morricone, yet composed for an imaginary setting dreamt up by David Lynch, "I Collide" brings forth a dreamy fireside duet telling atmospheric tales of foreverness and what lies beyond love whereas "The Comet Drops" showcases Hugo Race's deep connection to Blues and inherent melancholia without failing to provide a silver lining at the horizon captured by most beautiful and softly shimmering string arrangements as a contrast to the songs rather ruminant and self-reflecting feel just to name a few. Probably the most AltPop and song-oriented release on Gusstaff Records we can think of - and yet one that will end up in heavy rotation for more than one reason. Excellence is one. Go check.