•
Rating: To review this album, we must start with some clarifications: it is officially their last album, as announced by the band's frontman; I have read a lot about this CD, but the constant is that all the reviews referenced comparisons with The Sophtware Slump, the album unanimously (or almost) considered their masterpiece, viewing this as a regression or a worsening - almost as if it wasn't permissible to change and this album was a curse! It must be said that The Sophtware Slump remains their masterpiece because it is brilliant, but imperfect; almost difficult to listen to with those long plains of oblique, low-fi, electronic sounds and fuzzy guitars. This album, on the other hand, is a worthy evolution, an album in the making on the group's musical idea: less brilliant and more popular, but incredibly balanced and polished, while still remaining a bright beacon in the indie landscape.
An excellent farewell, a compendium of what Grandaddy have been and could have become, which makes us even sadder. All the ingredients are there: magical intros and instrumental breaks; two tracks (Jeez Louise and Elevate Myself) that hark back to the glories of acid guitars and the "Bontempi" sounds of Under The Western Freeway; a melancholic ballad (Summer it's gone) and a light and sad psychedelic ballad (The animal world) that so much reminds me of So You'll aim toward the sky from The Sophtware Slump; and then the classic fast pseudo-punk track, reminiscent of Florida from the last EP, the Song 2 of the album (50%); a pseudo-bossanova (Where I'm animore) with a somewhat sickly but perfect solo and a lethal whining chorus - listen to understand; two tracks (Campershell Dreams and Disconnecty) that recall the low-fi and experimental Blur of 13; and then the other tracks including the very successful Rear view Mirror and Guide down denied, in pure old Grandaddy style with genuine harmonious choruses, synths, and keyboards. To finish, the beautiful This is how it always starts and the ghost track with a very early Muse-like piano over which the singer hums "I'll never return". End credits - end. Sad.
Whether you are old fans of the group or want to approach them for the first time, you will not be disappointed. Not the most beautiful album? Definitely the most successful.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Jeez Louise (03:41)
Remembering Jeez Louise
And all of the bedroom window screens
Thrown away for our teenage dreams
Shacked up at Modesto Inn
And all of a sudden your mom crashed in
And she said: "No, she's not the one for you"
Yeah, your mom, she always hated me
Grab your keys, your clothes, your shoes
Jeez Louise you should have avoided me
Jeez Louise
Remembering Jeez Louise
A blanket in the summer evening breeze
Secrets shared in our youth released
Then one day they took you away
And all of a sudden your mom called me
And she said: "No, she's not the one for you"
Yeah, your mom, she always hated me
So just leave her broken, please
Jeez Louise you should have avoided me
Jeez Louise
Jeez Louise
Jeez Louise
05 Rear View Mirror (06:08)
Rear view mirror
Rear view mirror
Rear view mirror
Rear view mirror
What the hell
While I've been trying to drive somewhere
Real and nearer
Real and nearer
Rear view mirror
Don't wanna live life looking through a
What the hell, well
I've been trying to drive somewhere
Real and nearer
Real and nearer
Real and nearer
To boldly go no normal Joe or Jack or Jeff had ever been
Pass it slow, it's told you so, it's might as well give up, old friend
To boldly go no normal Joe or Jack or Jeff had ever been
Pass the classic no you never will and which is why we can
Which is why we can
Which is why we can
Don't wanna live life looking through a
To boldly go no normal Joe or Jack or Jeff had ever been
Pass it slow, it's told you so, it's might as well give up, old friend
To boldly go no normal Joe or Jack or Jeff had ever been
Pass the classic no you never will and which is why we can
Which is why we can
Which is why we can
Rear view mirror
Don't wanna live life looking through a
07 Skateboarding Saves Me Twice (03:22)
Skateboarding ...
Skateboarding saves me twice
Skateboarding saves me twice
08 Where I'm Anymore (06:07)
Ten million pounds of plastic baby stuff there beyond the doors
Garage sale sunday and I don't know where I'm anymore
Knee-highs riding little pink bikes in the middle of the road
Garage sale sunday and I don't know where I'm anymore
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Where I'm anymore
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Where I'm anymore
There was a punch-out
Happened at the take-out, a tweaker and a dog
It seems that the dog stole a blanket
From the tweaker in the park
But cheapshots happen
When thermometers are yellin' one-o-four
Garage sale sunday and I don't know where I'm anymore
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Where I'm anymore
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Where I'm anymore
An icecream truck each night plays 'don't believe the hype'
For oil stained driveways with exercise equipment piled high
All this seen from a yellow lawn hittin' eighty-four
Garage sale sunday and I don't know where I'm anymore
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Where I'm anymore
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Where I'm anymore
10 Guide Down Denied (06:32)
Guide down denied
I might drift forever more
But I’d sure like to come ashore
Sometime
Guide down denied
All my friends are home indoors
Reading ‘bout me, feeling sorry for
The guy who tried
But ended up
Guide down denied
Guide down denied
Guide down denied
Guide down denied
(Denied)
Guide down denied
Did you wait for me to show?
Get pissed off and finally go?
Guide down denied
I don’t wanna drift no more
I don’t wanna be the story
Of the guy who tried
And ended up
Guide down denied
Guide down denied
Guide down denied
Guide down denied
12 Campershell Dreams (03:44)
You don't have to be alone anymore
Good company's a gift
You don't have to be alone anymore
Go ahead, dispel the myth
You don't have to be alone anymore
Sad letters on the drift
You don't have to be alone anymore
That really ain't no way to live
You don't have to be alone anymore
Good company's a gift
You don't have to be alone anymore
Go ahead, dispel the myth
You don't have to be alone anymore
Sad letters on the drift
You don't have to be alone anymore
That really ain't no way to live
13 Disconnecty (03:34)
Dearest Mom
Your yearling son
Has sent a message through
He's disconected, but he still loves you
Weather lies and motor rules
The color printer blues
On the engine air his thoughts flow through to you
Disconnecty said to disconnect
But has he read the tiny text
That said to disconnect
He'd best decide
The rest of all your life
Will be your right to fly alone
Forever more
Dearest Mom
Your yearling son
Has sent a message through
He's disconected, but he still loves you
Disconnecty said to disconnect
But has he read the tiny text
That said to disconnect
He'd best decide
The rest of all your life
Will be your right to fly alone
Forever more
And ever more
14 This Is How It Always Starts (06:46)
This is how it always starts
All order falls apart
Okay, so who put this key in the mix?
Things were stable yesterday
But now they're blown away
Oh shit, I can't let them see me like this
Nothing sweet
Nothing nice
Nothing kiss, only fights
Nothing clear
Nothing bright
Nothing I'll feel tonight
Nothing great
Nothing good
Nothing is as it should
Nothing rad
Nothing right
Nothing I'll feel tonight
This is how it always starts
Dumb choices from the heart
Oh shit, I can't let them see me like this
Nothing sweet
Nothing nice
Nothing kiss, only fights
Nothing clear
Nothing bright
Nothing I'll feel tonight
Nothing great
Nothing good
Nothing is as it should
Nothing rad
Nothing right
Nothing I'll feel tonight
15 Shangri-La (outro) (02:16)
I'll never return (I'll never return)
I'll never return to Shangri-La (I'll never return)
Never return to Shangri-La (I'll never return)
Never return (I'll never return)
Loading comments slowly
