I'M ALL EARS is the second album by british pop duo Let's Eat Grandma, released 2018. But is it good?
I'M ALL EARS ended but being one of those records that I was always meaning to check out- but never got round to actually listening to. The combination of the album and band name sounded cool, so it was always in and out of the back of my mind, but then I found out the last track had the same name as my favourite movie... and it's also 11 minutes long. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The album opens with WHITEWATER, a 2 minute instrumental track that displays a real competence for instrumental arrangement with loads of synth tones. It manages to build tension from the get go and shows that Rosa and Jenny have a real handle on creating sounds.
The album starts proper with HOT PINK, which starts with fairly unmemorable backing vocals and singing until this weird percussion kicks in with the chorus, that changes to clattering with this chorus of voices chanting the tracks name against more lyrics. The track flips between these chorus passages and synth led verses. The sound of the chorus reminded me a bit of 100 gecs, I wouldn't be surprised if Laura Les and Dylan Brady were inspired by this track r this track's inspirations. The track just encapsulates a brilliant manic and punk-ish energy in it's loud parts.
IT'S NOT JUST ME doesn't reach the same experimental heights, but still manages to be quite good. I'm not too keen on the verses again, but the chorus again is so well crafted, the lyrics, the melodies and vocal melody are so catchy and pop-py, and the track just flies by. Some of the writing does feel like it lacks originality, but the backing track just about makes up for it.
FALLING INTO ME is framed by these huge airy drums and synths, but doesn't stay in one place too long. It's chorus is framed by these lo-fi keys, and the verse has what sounds almost like acoustic guitar arpeggios. The writing also picks up in this track, one of my favourite lines being "the lightning glitched and it echoed", and then "No hesitation at the traffic lights, Beneath the black in my windscreen". The vocal delivery also feels way better here too. It also doesn't drag at all at nearly 6 minutes.
SNAKES AND LADDERS opens with a cool electric guitar part. The vocals on this track are very passionate, the hook "'Cause you don't depend on me like I, I do" adds a whole lot too. The track climaxes in a really satisfying way, with these comparisons to distant planets and yearning for something more. This track is also about 6 minutes long and definitely feels more like it, but I think here it's more deliberate.
MISSED CALL (1) is an instrumental that gets grating after the first listen. Did for me anyway.
I WILL BE WAITING is kind of a super sweet love ballad, the keys from the start are warm, and multiply as the track opens up. Backing vocals are used really tastefully too. The percussion develops in a really really nice way. The vocals speed up too match, making the second verse exhilarating to listen to. The last chorus is dancy and dreamy and idyllic, and just bookends the track really nicely. I think it's probably worth saying that (besides the interlude) I think the second half of the record is way more interesting than the first half- not to say the first half is bad, but as you'll see, the second half has alot going on that the first doesn't.
COOL AND COLLECTED is this 9 minute progressive art pop piece with hints of jazz. It starts with a cool few guitar parts and an angular vocal performance, that develops to this powerful chorus. The atmosphere that builds in the back of the track can be easy to miss if you aren't listening for it, but when the the drums start up the girls really show their ability to juggle different instrument lines, and when the 2nd chorus comes around the track really opens up in a beautiful way, before sitting back to build up again for this brilliant final conclusion. If the band decides to go more in this direction rather than the pop stuff, I would be more than happy, it's just really great and feels well worth the build up.
AVA is this really warm piano ballad with some of the best singing on the record. I think it's largely about helping someone, and maybe even accepting that as much as you want to try and help someone, there's nothing you can do. The track is weirdly hopeful and hopeless at the same time, there's this repeated motif of being there "once or twice or again", even after they've moved away. It's really heart touching and moving.
DONNIE DARKO rounds off the record at 11 minutes long. The song evokes a feeling of reflection and pondering from the set off with both this pushing synth sound and long instrumental passages that eventually open up from guitar to a synth and drum let section. The vocal styles in the verses vary in a really cool way, especially the second one. The track climaxes with these noisy synths, and the lines "Donnie Darko's at my windscreens, Screaming, stop the car, stop the car, please". The instruments all fall away til it's just vocals and synths repeating the first verse, and then it all fades out. It leaves the album on an ambiguous yet strangely beautiful note, much like the movie it's based on.
Overall, I think the album more than anything shows a great deal of potential. If Jenny and Rosa pull together I think they could make a really interesting progressive art pop record, but then I think they've got potential to make a really solid synth pop record with great tracks from front to back. But this record, I thought, overall felt a little unorganized. The mix of these easy to digest pop songs with these more out there and experimental (and maybe patience testing for some) tracks kind f leave room for improvement, and plus I don't think the interludes really added alot either. But i still enjoyed alot of the record, and if these guys are in Norwich hopefully I'll be able to catch one of their shows at some point.
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