The Breakdown: Gilt, “Visitation”

Posted: by The Editor

Welcome to the first ever single for The Breakdown. This ongoing series takes a single track from an artist and dives into the details, from lyrics to instrumental breakdowns. Think of it as a deep dive into what makes a song go from being catchy to unforgettable.

St. Augustine-based Gilt is known for their eclectic sounds of experimental punk and elements of post-hardcore, but it’s their latest single “Visitation” that showcases the band’s range and heavy impact.

Give a listen below (and you might want to leave it on repeat).

From the start, Gilt vocally rockets out with heavy, slamming right into it with rapid drums. Layered vocals emphatically emphasize the weight of coming to terms with death. Each emphatic vocal strain is a beat yearning for a slipping, fleeting connection.

Let’s break down the impact of the first verse:

I tried to tell you when you were on your way out /But it always felt like the wrong time /How could I say, “I love you” and not sound/ Like I was trying to apologize?

The remorse is emphasized with each bell shake to match the rattling impact of realization of the last meaningful words. It’s this anguish that heightens throughout the track, backed by repetitive guitar and drum buildup.

In the wake of loss, there’s this aspiration underneath it all – to become the person that’s been lost. After all, the connection to the better parts of self has departed for the lyricist- and that itself is a wound to heal.

“And I for my part, I’ve tried to do a lot/
To be the person who you saw before I could be/
And all those things that came up, and came in between “

Each line is accented with a guitar riff, stretching the feelings of longing and loss as deep as the emotions themselves cut. The intimacy of death’s closeness “but it’s still not family” is just underscored throughout the track makes it a begrudging embrace that like the lyricist, we can come to terms with.

The processing of loss is unlike any experience in life, but Gilt may have captured a path to healing.


Follow Gilt on social media:
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Amanda Starling // @StarlingAj


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