Great Grandpa have entered new territory on forthcoming sophomore record, ‘Four of Arrows’. The soundscapes are gargantuan in scale while the lyrics are vulnerable, raw – it’s truly one of 2019’s great records. Written about mental illness, the shocking shifts of pace in ‘Digger’ are suggestive of that whirlwind of emotion; everything seems to be going along steady until out of nowhere, you’re pummelled, mercilessly, into rock-bottom. The first half of the chorus shares the sing-along qualities of the album’s lead single ‘Mono No Aware’. A thunderous guitar then shatters the song into shards as Alex Menne roars “that’s why I hate you” – their voice imploding, on the brink of self-destruction. ‘Digger’ is another surefire sign that Great Grandpa are at their best when they operate on the edge, harnessing their emotion in glacier-shifting guitars and writhing, life-affirming vocals. A band so human it hurts.
‘Four of Arrows’ is out October 25 on Double Double Whammy (US) and Big Scary Monsters (UK)
