Guitar pop visionary Ben Cook — formerly known as Young Guv — has announced his new album Warmer Than Gold, set for release on 30th January. The record marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Cook’s long-running project, now simply known as GUV, and arrives with the vibrant lead single Let Your Hands Go.
GUV
A shimmering fusion of jangly guitar pop, danceable breakbeats, and kaleidoscopic textures, Let Your Hands Go captures Cook’s knack for infectious hooks while injecting them with a euphoric, rhythm-driven energy reminiscent of early ’90s Britpop and Madchester scenes. It’s a dazzling preview of what promises to be one of the most dynamic records of Cook’s career.
Warmer Than Gold finds GUV expanding his sonic palette, bringing together an eclectic cast of collaborators including James Matthew Seven, Darcy Baylis, Hatchie, Meg Mills of Turnstile, and more. The result is an album that feels both timeless and forward-thinking — a seamless blend of Britpop, classic indie pop, baggy rhythms, and first-wave shoegaze, filtered through Cook’s distinctive melodic sensibility.
Described by Cook as “a record about slipping through two worlds — one ruled by luxury and the worship of status, and another that feels like an escape, a dream you can almost touch,” Warmer Than Gold explores themes of modernity, nostalgia, and the search for something genuine amidst chaos. It’s a reflection on movement and transformation — both literal and emotional — and a love letter to the creative spirit that has defined Cook’s career.
A lifelong musician, Cook’s journey has spanned an impressive range of styles and scenes. Raised between Toronto and England, his musical DNA was shaped by early exposure to Oasis, Neil Young, and the trip-hop and reggae-tinged sounds of Bristol. After cutting his teeth in the hardcore world with No Warning and later joining the genre-defying Fucked Up, Cook began carving out his own lane in melodic, sun-drenched pop as Young Governor, later Young Guv, and now simply GUV.
With Warmer Than Gold, Cook channels the restless creativity that has always defined his output, but through a lens of maturity and reflection. Working closely with longtime friend and collaborator James Matthew Seven (JMVII), the album came together across multiple continents — from London to Los Angeles — capturing the feeling of constant motion.
“Warmer Than Gold is about buses, trains, planes — about big dreams in solitude, finding something real despite everything trying to erase it,” Cook says. “It’s about London, my family, everyone I’ve ever and never met. It’s the feeling of infinite movement, the glow of yellow moons over dark oceans, the weight of history pressing against the future.”
The recording process was fluid and spontaneous, with Cook and Seven embracing a freer, more intuitive approach than in previous projects. A host of collaborators — including Tony Price, Noah Kohll, Max Epstein (Photographic Memory), Jimmy Dixon, Johnny Bell, Joey Oaxaca, Walter Sedriks, and Remghost — helped shape the album’s lush production, resulting in a sound that feels communal yet cohesive.
Across twelve tracks, Warmer Than Gold moves through shimmering pop highs and introspective valleys. Opener Let Your Hands Go bursts with euphoric breakbeats and a massive hook, while the title track delivers wistful lyricism over swirling, sunset-ready grooves. Blue Jade evokes The Jesus and Mary Chain by way of The Stone Roses, and Seaside Story recalls the delicate charm of Sarah Records-era dream pop. Elsewhere, Never Should Have Said — a duet with Hatchie — and Crash Down Feeling channel the bittersweet beauty that has long been central to Cook’s songwriting.
Clocking in at under 45 minutes, Warmer Than Gold may be more concise than GUV’s sprawling double-album releases, but it pulses with energy and emotion. It’s the sound of an artist rediscovering his love of creation — a soundtrack for motion, introspection, and everything in between.
“I’ve been searching for ways to bring the fleeting into focus, to make the invisible parts of myself real, hoping they might connect with something greater,” Cook reflects. “Warmer Than Gold is another step in that journey of rediscovery.”
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