Grandaddy - 'I'm On Standby' / 'Stray Dog & The Chocolate Shake' (V2)
4/5
By: Kevin Molloy
Little shock, Grandaddy have been refining ramshackle charm for some time now, and it's evidently paying off dividends. Their off-kilter brand of indie-pop is a flawless melange of dreamy melodies and infectiously simple chord-progressions - and their latest is no exception: the psychedelic organ refrain of 'Stray Dog...' will catch heads nodding amid its stop/start pulses, whilst the chords behind transpose it in true, magical fashion.
However, whilst it would be possible to praise the technical wonders of Grandaddy all day, it's the words that prove the main attraction. Jason Lytle's seemingly limitless compassion and imagination transport you to empathise with factory robots ('I'm On Standby'), limousine drivers with 'magic hair' (Stray Dog...), and 'insane birds that can't remember any of their songs' (b-side 'The Town Where I Live Now'). And though the lyrical tone 'n' topic tends to be fairly downbeat, as is the 'Daddy mark, the trip is a warm one, largely courtesy of Lytle's honest, husky voice.
It's just unfortunate they've chosen two very rhythmically paralleling odes to release side-by-side, but no matter... this is a balmy and welcoming, invigorating, relaxing and thoughtful experience, from a band who love the underdog, whilst, as clearly proven, are underdogs no more.
Artists in this article: Grandaddy
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