Gus Baldwin: Gus Baldwin [Album Review]

Gus Baldwin
Gus Baldwin
Permanent Teeth Records [2025]

“A raucous, tape-hissed rock out from one of Austin’s most restless talents.”

Album Overview: Austin’s Gus Baldwin has been a driving force in Texas rock for the past decade. He cut his teeth drumming for Dallas surf punks Sealion before fronting the psych-pop outfit Acid Carousel, releasing a flood of home-recorded material that blurred style and sanity in equal measure. His restless creativity eventually birthed Gus Baldwin & The Sketch in 2022, whose debut record caught national attention and landed him tours with Jack White and Bass Drum of Death. Now stepping out under his own name, Gus Baldwin captures the chaos and clarity of his early twenties with raw conviction and unapologetic personality.

This self-titled album plays like a reel of self-discovery spun at full speed. Written between the final days of Acid Carousel and the fallout that followed, it traces Baldwin’s transformation through fuzz-drenched guitars and urgent, hook-driven melodies. Recorded on a vintage Tascam 8-track, it blends lo-fi immediacy with sharp songwriting instincts. Each track feels like a Polaroid from Baldwin’s creative breakthrough—loud, messy, and full of life.

Musical Style: The record casts a wide net across decades of rock tradition: the grit of ’70s garage, the punch of ’80s power-pop, and the scrappy bite of ’90s indie. Baldwin channels all of it with reckless precision. His songs walk the line between chaos and control—fuzzy distortion meeting undeniable melody—resulting in tracks that hit hard and hang around.

Evolution of Sound: After years under Acid Carousel’s psychedelic haze, Baldwin reemerges with a sharper edge and stronger sense of self. The tape-saturated production and minimal overdubs bring a live-wire feel, but there’s newfound discipline beneath the noise. It’s the sound of a songwriter tightening his focus while keeping the raw, DIY heart intact—a crucial step from collaborator to auteur.

Artists with Similar Fire: Fans of Ty Segall, Jay Reatard, and Thee Oh Sees will turn up the volume with Baldwin’s wild energy, while his knack for melody recalls Bad Nerves and early Replacements. There’s even a flash of Jack White’s swagger in the mix, all grounded by that unpolished Austin charm.

Pivotal Tracks: “Depression” bursts with emotion and melody, cutting straight through the static—it’s both catharsis and confession. “Credit Card” showcases Baldwin’s pop smarts, complete with an addictive guitar pluck and a cheeky uncensored version that adds extra bite. “St. Sinner” bristles with snarling guitar interplay, while “West Korea” careens forward in a rush of distortion and adrenaline. Together, they show an artist who thrives in motion, always chasing the next spark.

Lyrical Strength: Baldwin writes like he’s mid-freefall—self-aware, funny, and a little scorched around the edges. His lyrics turn confusion and humor into survival tools, capturing what it feels like to be young, flawed, and fully alive. The words read like journal entries written in all caps, burned at the edges but still glowing.

Final Groove: Gus Baldwin is a rowdy, full-throttle ride that proves the Austin rocker can stand tall on his own. It’s rough in all the right places, balancing chaos with charm and honesty with volume. The record doesn’t just mark a solo debut—it feels like a declaration. Baldwin’s already shown he can build a sound from scratch; now he’s ready to see just how far it can go.

GUS BALDWIN LINKS
Linktree | Instagram | Bandcamp | Permanent Teeth Records