Pros: Decent songs, good arrangement, fine production...
Cons: Somewhat repetitive, no major strides for Grandaddy...
The Bottom Line: While not a good place to begin a relationship with Grandaddy, Sumday is a fine enough continuation on the band's favorite theme of technology.
Good bands are hard to come by in this era of sound-alike, dress-alike disposable rock and pop. But there are certainly occasional exceptions, as with the creatively free California band Grandaddy.
First rubbing audiences the right way with independent debut EP in 1997 titled A Pretty Good Mess By This One Band, Grandaddy returned a year later with the critically acclaimed full-length debut Under The Western Freeway. But nobody anywhere foresaw the steps that the band would take in recording their third release. Nobody could have imagined that Grandaddy was truly, incredibly, amazingly talented. Nobody could have possibly dreamt that the band’s second full-length release would be so perfect.
Nobody could have guessed that The Sophtware Slump would be anything but a sophomore slump. Grandaddy shocked audiences with the album, a pointed discussion about the moral ramifications of the proliferation of technology. As heavy-handed as the theme may seem, the songs themselves are easy going and rich. The album is a veritable masterpiece and members Jason Lytle (vocals), Kevin Garcia (bass guitar), Jim Fairchild (guitar), Tim Dryden (keyboard), and Aaron Burtch (drums) are the epitome of talent. Or so we thought…
See, every band regardless of how wonderful they seem is bound to falter. The Sophtware Slump is just one of those albums that is impossible to even come close to equaling in terms of quality. And while not perfect, the band’s third LP released in mid-2003 and titled Sumday makes an honorable attempt at achieving that unattainable goal. The album is once again steeped in the idea that technology is not going to further the world and humans as a group.
The main thing that troubles me about Sumday is that some of the tracks lack the anxious fervor that made the previous album so special. Also troublesome is that the album at times is too cohesive (it sounds like a single long track for some of the time) and at other times the glue that held The Sophtware Slump together is markedly missing. But the bulk of the songs that are offered up are rewarding enough to recommend the purchase of this disc (only after first picking up the band’s superior second album).
Now It’s On kicks off the disc in style. The light, pop-oriented alt-rock tune is a change in tone from the excellent earlier effort. Grandaddy seems somehow calmer and much less depressed. This brighter mood will lend itself well to casual consumers, but comes as a bit of a disappointment to those with a darker sense of humor (like myself). As much as I do indeed appreciate this track, I’m more of a fan of the tune that follows: I’m On Standby. This particular track would have fit perfectly along side my favorite material from the band.
Also lovely is the chipper, crystalline The Go In The Go-For It. But from there, the album stumbles (at least in comparison to my high expectations). I’d hoped for the band to explore some themes more in depth or to introduce another character as memorable as Jed the robot. I miss ol’ Jed. He was a stroke of genius. I also wish that the band would have branched out musically. The Sophtware Slump possessed a lovely sound that is continued on Sumday but without making any particular leaps or bounds in terms of sound quality (aside from slightly better production), this album sounds like a continuation of the first.
The Group Who Couldn’t Say is fine enough, but Burtch’s drums are identical to the ones he played on The Go In The Go-For-It. Not just that, the song itself is just bland. Lytle’s words are fine, heck I like his narrative manner of writing and singing. But the music itself is simply blah. Acoustic guitars and drums are at the forefront of Lost on Yer Merry Way. But with that said, I cannot endorse the track as it is much too repetitive for my taste.
Grandaddy’s album makes a slight turn for the better with El Caminos in the West. With a quickened pace and the welcomed use of mechanical-sounding keyboards is reminiscent of some of the band’s better work. Plus, I’m grateful for the popular culture references (especially to the ridiculous El Camino). ”Yeah” Is What We Had isn’t the best track here, but it is relaxing and entertaining enough to fill the space between otherwise superior songs. Saddest Vacant Lot in All the World begins magically with just a playful piano and strange samples/percussion. The gorgeous melody represents what Grandaddy does best. They are incredibly adept at writing and performing emotional tracks with a distinct detachment from the subject at hand.
Stray Dog and the Chocolate Shake is a wonderful song. Once again steeped in discussion about technology and robots and featuring mechanical keyboards, droning bass guitar, and hollow percussion not to mention Lytle’s light, evocative vocals the track is among my favorite here. Returning to the use of the piano, O.K. With My Decay is fine, but the pace is extremely methodical and difficult to digest. The song—however decent otherwise—is sunk by the ridiculous 6+ minute length. It takes much too long to get over, and by the time The Warming Sun (a far superior track) enters the picture it’s almost too late for Grandaddy.
The Warming Sun is fortunately a truly gorgeous song. Dryden’s keyboard/piano adds a great deal of texture and zest to the slow and strange yet completely perfect track. The Final Push to the Sum wraps the album up on a similarly positive note. Awkward, free, and bizarre the track does a fine job at putting the points of ellipses at the end of this overall decent album.
Sumday is good. Though, when compared to the wonder and vigor of The Sophtware Slump it is a disappointment. I can appreciate the effort and energy that went into this album’s creation, but in all honesty some of that should have been aimed at creating a more cohesive, less repetitive, and amore diverse album. Overall, it is worth owning for fans of the band but is far surpassed by The Sophtware Slump. Slightly better than average fare.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4/5 stars)
Track Listing:
01. Now It's On
02. I'm on Standby
03. The Go in the Go-For-It
04. The Group Who Couldn't Say
05. Lost on Yer Merry Way
06. El Caminos in the West
07. "Yeah" Is What We Had
08. Saddest Vacant Lot in All the World
09. Stray Dog and the Chocolate Shake
10. O.K. With My Decay
11. The Warming Sun
12. The Final Push to the Sum
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