Gramma "EAT" Album Review
Review by: Cameron Christopherson, Writer @Cameron_Christopherson
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
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Gramma has been a staple of the Minneapolis DIY scene for over nine years. The punk three-piece, made up of Logan Hullett, Tyler Smith, and James Goranson had emerged themselves in a three year period of radio silence after the release of their previous effort, Get Down. After a few weeks of teasing in late 2023, the band announced both an east coast tour, and a brand new album. EAT, now the groups fourth studio album, is chock full of the classic ‘Gramma sound’ and musical motifs that featured on previous efforts, but also includes an incredible amount of sonic experimentation. Much like their live performances, EAT is short, sweet, and full of weird surprises. Totalling twelve tracks, the album clocks in at under 24 minutes with only two tracks rising above the two minute mark.
Right off the bat, ‘TRACT’ greets listeners with a guitar riff reminiscent of older Gramma efforts, noisy, spiraling, loud and fast. On top of frantic drumming, and angular rhythm part, a screeching guitar line stuns your ears. Listening to this track for the first time is reminiscent of my first time hearing ‘Still Raining, Still Dreaming’ by Jimi Hendrix, where the guitar sounds uncannily like a human voice. The experimentation doesn’t end there, however. Tracks like ‘FINNEGAN’S BAKE’ which send warped vocals spiraling around a simple but hypnotic combination of rhythmic drum and acoustic guitar parts, and ‘PEEKABOO’ features bedroom screamo vocals over layers of instrumentation so distorted and modulated that it’s unclear what instruments the bands are using. ‘DEPT. STORE,’ the albums closer, is a culmination of the out-of-the-box techniques, and lighthearted spirit of the project. Totalling just under 6 minutes in length, the track ranges from free improvisation, to booming basslines and moaning vocals, hectic punk riffs, and more. At the end, a low volume vocal part chanted over a marching drum beat finishes the album off.
When I asked the band about the direction for some of these tracks, they mentioned taking influence from bands like the Pixies, Brainiac, and Mclusky, “A lot of the music we love is pretty off the wall, wacky, and noisy. But we also love a good hook” the band wrote to me. Over their career, Gramma has worked with prolific producers like Erik Paulsen of Remo Drive and Elijah Deaton-Berg, and continues that streak on this project, teaming up with Kris Johnson of Flowers Studio. On working with Johnson, and how it contributed to their ability to experiment, “We used an Altoids tin as an amp for one bit. It was also a dream getting to record at Flowers. It’s just such an amazing sounding studio and they’ve got so much cool gear it’s dizzying walking in there the first time.”
Aside from exciting noise experimentation, EAT also features some of Gramma’s catchiest tracks yet. ‘MOM ETC.’, one of the lead singles for the album immediately comes to mind. During the verses, an infectious guitar melody lays the foundation for the vocals, while Hullet’s aggressive vocal delivery provides a super compelling contrast. ‘NANANA,’ another single, follows the trend of melodic guitar lines. The verses on this song are sparse, a simple drum groove, and fuzzy bassline lay the foundation for Hullett’s almost spoken-word vocal performance. The chorus features one of the coolest riffs of the year, a spiraling, shrieking, descending melody which creates a perfect backing for the “Nanana's” which populate the background. The song ends in a triumphant crash of guitar feedback and harmonized riffing.
When I asked the band about their writing process, they told me that “usually one of us will bring a riff to practice and we’ll jam and add to it until it passes as a song - i.e. it breaks the one minute mark.” Songs like ‘LUCKY’ are perfect examples of this kind of writing style paying off. Starting with a punchy lone bassline, a simple guitar part and tom heavy drum groove layer themselves on top. After a subdued verse, the song explodes into an instrumental refrain featuring yet another face melting guitar line. ‘JYNX,’ similarly starts with a bass and drum combo that gives way to a dissonant verse melody. Like so many songs on EAT, ‘JYNX’ deals in tension. How long until this gives way into the recognizable chaos of a Gramma hook?
Gramma is known for their explosive and brief live sets. Seeing them on a bill usually guarantees a sold out night at whatever venue they may be playing. While the band has graduated from exclusively playing sweaty basement shows throughout the Twin Cities, many of the tracks on EAT seem tailored for small intimate settings perfect for tight knit mosh-pits. ‘HALF NELSON’ is two straight minutes of chaos with a short interval of dissonant scale climbs, the evocatively named ‘DUNCE AGAINST THE WORLD + THE WORLD IS BEARS’ is forty-seven seconds of a three-chord riff, absolutely nasty drum work, and “Your life is such a drag, and so are you” being screamed repeatedly. ‘SNEAKER’S PETE’ shows one of Gramma’s strongest sides as songwriters. The song essentially has two parts - a power chord based riff which underpins the hook, and a melodic line which lays the foundation for the verse. Instead of just alternating between the two, which would serve a minute and a half long song perfectly well, Gramma reuses its different parts perfectly. The melody is played on bass in the verse section, serving as a backing piece to a drum heavy section. Its return takes the form of a massive breakdown to close out the song.
EAT is a triumphant display of sonic experimentation that sacrifices nothing in the way of catchy songwriting, and builds the artistic identity Gramma has been building for nearly a decade. Its short tracks often escape description via the written word, and beg to be experienced. A visceral, aggressive, catchy, dizzying, and extremely fun project, EAT is a work that ties together years of artistic output but still reaches for greater heights.
