A Pretty Mess by this One Band |
Concrete Dunes |
Just Like the Fambly Cat |
The Sophtware Slump |
Sumday
Amazon
It takes a brave man to go with the neckbeard.
It doesn't keep lead singer, Jason Lytle, from singing about
technological alienation and revving up the swirling bleeps
and bloops that accompany Grandaddy's post-rock esthetic. Thematically,
Grandaddy's stuff tends to mimic the emptiness and detachment
of humans in an industrial world idea that Radiohead
has made so popular. Unlike their Brit peers, Grandaddy adds
a tinge of American redneck (remember the neckbeard) into their
otherwise modern sound. Ironically, there are instances on the
album when the band sounds as if has been sapped of its human
emotion, as Lytle and company meander through a haze of mid-tempo
dream-pop. They break free at times, changing tempos, and talking
about things humans experience (beer, cigarettes, love). Unlike
their last effort, The Sophtware Slump, this album
is very melody-oriented, with almost every song actually structured
around verses. I'm sure that pisses off some die-hard Grandaddy
purists, but I find the whole experience of the album very satisfying.
Hey, they're the American Radiohead, after all! |
Under the Western Freeway |
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