Yet another entry that has wandered in from outside of metal’s closely guarded borders. I have adored Grandaddy for decades, first discovering them at the turn of the millennia when they released the utterly wonderful “The Software Slump”. Whilst they managed to release several other records (including the equally stunning “Sumday”) the wheels ended up coming off the wagon in 2006. They reformed again six years later but the death of lynchpin member Kevin Garcia seemed to spell an even more permanent exit as they headed once more into hiatus.

So the appearance of “Blu Wav” earlier on this year took us all by surprise. Grandaddy have essentially become the work of Jason Lytle alone, and there is now a real blur between his solo material and what can be designated as Grandaddy. It is certainly the most overtly melancholy album they have ever released under the Grandaddy Moniker. It is massively understated and stunningly restrained in minimalism. Musically it is almost not there, everything is in soft focus and operates at a blisteringly low frequency.

The electro-anthemic nature of past releases has been massively dialled down. Instead, we get a slow and seductive meander through Jason’s current state of mind. It feels rustic and improvised like he’s turned on the tape and is just seeing what happens. Unobtrusive and musically discreet it proves that quiet is indeed the new loud.

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