Search - Grandaddy :: DoublePlays: Sumday/The Sophtware Slump

Sumday, Slumphow

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 04/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Grandaddy will soon be no more. With their last album due for release soon, it seems like a good time to revisit their melancholy-robot rockers. Here "Sumday" and the "Sophtware Slump" are compiled together, showing off the best material Grandaddy has yet produced.



"The Sophtware Slump" opens with a sort of alien banjo, crooning voice and chirping birds. The album quickly speeds up into a series of bittersweet songs that fizzle on the edge with a bit of punk. "Hewlett's Daughter" is actually kind of fun and poppy, while "Crystal Lake" has a keyboard shimmer.



But at heart, these songs are soft, floating, and silvery, with lots of fuzz and sound effects mixed in with piano and some aching synth. Jason Lytle sings about sad robots, crystal lakes, rocketships, and wanting to sleep "underneath the weeping willow/As it cries all night quietly."



That turned out to be a winning formula for Grandaddy. And as a wise band, they didn't fix what wasn't broken in their follow-up album, "Sumday." It's a bit less spacey and more poppy, but has the same kind of robot-rock sound.



It opens with "Now it's On," a catchy little tune that stretches its guitars into long sweeps. But the song that stands out is "I'm on Standby," a charming little song from the viewpoint of a robot who's getting reworked. "Bye bye, I'm on standby/Out of order or sort of unaligned/Powered down for redesign."



They continue with the sparkly, fuzzy rock in poppy "The Go in the Go For It," and the incredibly cheerful "Yeah! Is What We Had," which is almost sweet enough to give you cavities. But they also explore the melancholy side of things in the piano-driven "Saddest Vacant Lot in All the World," and the introspective "OK With My Decay."



Few bands can manage this sort of sound, whether it's the spacier "Slump" or the poppier, robotic "Sumday." Grandaddy specialized in music that was very complex, very out-there, and yet was easily accessable to anyone who doesn't think that MTV is the pinnacle of modern music.



Percussion and bass are usually kept subtle and careful, while the guitars and take center stage. The synths are so integral that you barely notice them; they sound like an addled robot put them in. And as the crowning touch, the sound of crickets, rocketships and wind are all included in these songs.



Jason Lytle has one of those sensitive voices that the best indie rockers have. And he can really sing with feeling, whether being playful or wistful. And the songwriting is beautiful, full of longing and optimism. "I want to sleep/Underneath the weeping willow/As it cries all night quietly... I'll sleep there so soundly/Until I'm allowed finally/To wake and be happy again."



As we bid farewell to Grandaddy, take the time to listen to their best work, "The Sophtware Slump" and "Sumday." A bittersweet, beautiful experience."