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At the start of the 21st century, Grandaddy released their most ambitious work, The Sophtware Slump, featuring thrift-store synthesizers that hinted at the possibility that humanity should have fallen victim to the Y2K bug. Reviewers drew parallels between the Californian band’s elegant melancholy and the end-of-the-century worries of Radiohead. However, while lead singer Jason Lytle openly cited OK Computer as an influence, Grandaddy’s sound was also heavily influenced by the Beach Boys and country music.
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This element is particularly evident on their sixth album: Lytle’s only collaborator is Max Hart, playing mournful pedal steel. The song titles, such as “You’re Going To Be Fine” and “I’m Going To Hell,” capture the genre’s skillful blend of heartache and dry humor. As always, the themes revolve around loss and isolation: “Cabin In My Mind” reflects on the unattainability of dreams while “On a Train Or Bus” follows the narrator haunted by memories of a lost love. In “Watercooler,” Lytle takes on the role of a ghost haunting an office, listening in on tears shed in a bathroom stall and finding inspiration in the mundane ennui of working life.
He lightens the sadness with moments of humor, like when he jokes about being a wicked jukebox demanding “more credits … or I’ll play even more songs,” a subtle hint that the prevailing troubles could become overwhelming. In reality, Lytle’s melancholic songs – sung in a sorrowful tone that suggests Brian Wilson channeling Charlie Brown’s existential anxiety – are a captivating delight, and getting immersed in his dreamy mix of happiness and sadness is an irresistible pleasure.
Source: theguardian.com
