Photo by Victoria Prestes

Ben Cook could stand on a stage with a slight Canadian accent and profess that he invented the whole of Brit-pop, from its agile post-punk architecture, the bluster of the Madchester scene, and trippy dance daze of Baggy, and you would believe it. The guitar-pop virtuoso is just that good when it comes to making whatever sound he puts his mind (and song) to into his own. At that, “Warmer Than Gold”, the title track and latest single from his forthcoming album since rechristening himself from Young Guv to simply GUV, is the entire history of London’s music scene in just under four minutes, as it blinkers into the Cure and New Order’s colorful nighttime post-punk, Happy Monday’s neo-psychedelia, and the Gallagher brothers’ fully amped acid pop. There needs to be some feeling behind it all, though, because otherwise it’s just making the most with appearances. That feeling is the warmth you get when you let yourself walk into the sun with him. “I’ve seen diamonds fall / But still I’m on the run.” Be it trails blazed before him or the ones he’s reshaping, this is nothing but gold.

Directed by: GUV

GUV’s WARMER THAN GOLD will be released January 30th on Run for Cover Records.