Grandma's House: 10 pounds of Fun in a Five pound Bag
by
Washroom
“Grandma’s House” is a nice debut for this quartet founded in Central New York at Hamilton College. Its songs vary in theme, style, and tone but are unified in their commitment to musicianship and (for lack of a better phrase) having a good time. Even when dealing with such melancholy topics as heartbreak, self doubt, war and its effects (or lack thereof) on our country’s energy use, each member seems to be having a really good time with their individual instrument.
On first listen, both Root and Hodosy are stand outs on bass and keys respectively. Root’s bass playing is expert and mind blowing without drawing too much attention to itself (unlike Les Claypool from Primus). Although he’s a little soft in the mix, Hodosy seems to be constantly riffing on the keys somewhere in the background. The rhythm section in general is extremely solid.
Head (guitar and vocals) is to be commended for his vocal bravery on the album. Rather than trying to sound great on every track, he uses his voice instead to supplement the lyrics in an attempt to underline the emotional/thematic mission of the song. This is especially true on “Signs of Life”.
Overall, “Grandma’s House” is just plain fun. Even when discussing the unfairness of social hierarchy, the guys can’t seem to stop themselves from divulging into a several minute long jam session, each one obviously having a great deal of fun.
