Grammatics - Grammatics

Grammatics – Grammatics

The argument that generic indie rock is becoming omnipresent, getting monotonous and similar is undoubtedly a talking point at the moment; generic is anything but a label suited to this new ‘indie’ band from Leeds, with great song writing skills, very diverse vocals and deep instrumentals, with the use of Cello’s executed by Emilia Ergin throughout the album.

‘Shadow Committee’ slowly brings us into a Grammatics journey of complexity, each track dramatic in the arrangement of instrumentals, often giving the album an overall royal feel. The album flows perfectly; the choppy riffs and vocals shift into melodic anti-climaxes, flawlessly moving on to the next theatrical track right up to the final track. Each track is filled to the brim with a vocal and instrumental combination of sound, making the album seem very busy and at times almost endless.

One criticism of the album is the perhaps over-complexity of some tracks; despite the effectiveness of dynamic vocals and instrumentals, other critics are pointing out that sometimes their sound seems over-complicated which perhaps somewhat over-impresses some audiences. As a result of this, the band seems to have created a very much ‘love or hate’ situation – appealing only to those who can appreciate the very dramatic sound.

Grammatics are still fairly unfamiliar with the majority of music fans and indie fans in the UK, despite a rise in recognition as a result of the release of this generally highly acclaimed debut album. In October Grammatics will tour the UK with Bloc Party, offering a great opportunity to expose their music to an audience who may appreciate their unique, non-generic indie sound.

Review by James Murray