Edward Russell
When I first heard the complicated sounds of Philadelphia Grand Jury’s new effort, Summer Of Doom, I felt as if it was very hard to categorise. That’s something that is increasingly hard to say in today’s music marketplace, and, I’ve always believed, a sign of a very good album.
Joel Beeson (MC Bad Genius), Simon Berckelman (Berkfinger), and Dan Williams (Dan W Sweat) have achieved a unique sound. No two tracks are crafted the same here. The first single, Crashing and Burning Part II, opens the account and sounds almost reminiscent of The Pixies, while Sugar In My Diet sound almost as if it could be at home on a Weezer record. When a band can achieve comparisons with more than one artist of that calibre, they are doing something right.
In its entirety, the album is fused together by a consistently dirty production. This is more than likely due in no small part to the fact that these songs were mostly recorded live within a half hour of being written and without being tampered with by computer editing software. The bass and guitars drive the record along, presenting cheerful chord progressions without ever sounding too happy themselves. In most of the album’s twelve entries, there is a sense of suspense and expectancy built by carefully inserted notes, fills and hooks that combine to set this apart from just another indie record. Cheesy falsetto aside, I could listen to the album’s bookend track, Pull Some Strings, all day and longer. It’s the perfect complement for the opening tune. Do yourself a favour and listen to this record from start to finish and I’ve no doubt you’ll appreciate the amount of talent these guys bring to the table.
All things considered, this is an album that will do more than just improve your credibility among the hipster crowd. It will actually enrich your life, like good music should.
