Grandaddy - London Bush Hall - 20/3/03
4/5
By: Kari Wynn
Set-List: 'Hewlett's Daughter', 'Yeah's What We Had', 'Levitz', 'Beautiful Ground', 'Miner At The Dial A View', 'AM180', 'Now It's On', 'First Movement', 'The Crystal Lake'.
It's been a long time since we've seen our bearded, becapped, possibly inbred cousins (joke) from Modesto, California. Nearly three years since their magnificent cosmic Americana masterpiece, 'The Sophtware Slump', and about a year and a half since their last proper gig (not including a one-off in their hometown and a showcase at SXSW). So according to the band and their handy programme, it's about time for a reintroduction.
And a hell of a handshake it is - tonight Grandaddy are premiering new material from their forthcoming album, 'Sumday', and Bush Hall in London is dressed for the part: low lighting, giant Grandaddy posters decked all over the walls, and about two-hundred assorted musos, journos, and guests expounding the virtues of tonight's heroes.
It all kicks off with 'Hewlett's Daughter', much to the delight of dozens of head-bobbers and those brave enough to perform full-scale 'air-keyboard'. And it sounds perfect (as does an eventual, set-conclusive outing of hit-single, 'Crystal Lake'). Yet, their new tracks, meanwhile - well, you get a sense that the band's been chomping at the bit to have people hear them; as the band write on the evening's programme, regarding the new record: 'It took us a good long time to prepare to make it, and another good chunk of months to actually put the damn thing to tape. And we are absolutely thrilled and in love with it; we feel like it put us where we have hoped to be recorded-wise for a long time...'
The result of their labour of love: a firm step away from the broken-down technological chill of their last album, and a giant leap into the grinning, California sunshine. There's even the lovely sound of sleigh bells on one track - almost a nod to West Coast predecessors Spector and Wilson. Don't get us wrong; it's still the same great Sophtware... they've just upgraded to one of those ultra-colourful, happy-Macs.
Artists in this article: Grandaddy
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