I'm with them.
(L to R: Sean Gadd, Christian Zucconi, Hannah Hooper, Ryan Rabin, Andrew Wesson)
GROUPLOVE
Spreading Rumours
(Canvasback/Atlantic)
To provide this review a frame of reference I'd like to discuss how I first came to love the group (*rimshot*). The band's debut EP was originally released in 2010 and the song "Gold Coast" was featured in the film The Sorcerer's Apprentice, which Trevor had scored. As I always read the credits for films, but especially those which Trevor has worked on, I was able to figure out that Grouplove was Ryan's new band and thus I rushed off to alert fandom to this discovery and downloaded their EP, which I did enjoy, and not merely for its progeny (besides Ryan, bassist Sean Gadd is the son of British vocalist Steve Gadd). I especially liked the production values of "Gold Coast," appreciating the choices Ryan made as an engineer and producer.
Success does not just happen to a band, they have to achieve it, and Grouplove was tireless in performing and managed to land a distributor in Atlantic and thus a contract. The following year saw the release of Never Trust A Happy Song, which is a great album, with only one song I would consider filler ("Betty's A Bombshell" - I wish they would have included "Gold Coast" as they did with "Colours" and "Naked Kids"). With a variety of styles from indie rock to shiny pop to trip-hop to a sort of neo-glam and a few other genre nods, it sold well and "Tongue Tied" became one of the most-played and licensed songs of 2012. I knew it was a hit single the very first time I heard it and if Ryan - much like Trevor with "Owner of a Lonely Heart" - becomes defined by that song...well, I can think of worse things.
So all of that goes to explain that I am and have been a fan of this band. I have listened to the EP and Happy Song many times and the band's collective talent, energy and synergy with one another is the key to their success. Being attractive and personable certainly doesn't hurt either. But what I liked about the album is that it seemed to present the band in their best light, how this was a once-in-a-lifetime pairing in all ways. Instrumentally they blended together so well, and the call-and-response of Christian's and Hannah's vocals were as much a part of the sound as the perfect hooks and the manic energy of their playing. I had no qualms in proclaiming this to be an excellent debut.
I appreciate and admire that the band is not merely reprising their formula with Spreading Rumours, that they are setting themselves new benchmarks and ambitions. Production-wise this is a great work, and I'm betting other artists will hear it and find themselves thinking, "Wow, I want Ryan Rabin to produce my next record!" The sum of his experience and education is brought to bear in the arrangements and elaborate layering evident in all the tracks. This is a great-sounding record, and as he brought in a couple well-known engineers to assist with the mix, it's another example of how the band is focused on ensuring their own success, not content to leave it to others or even the popular zeitgeist while at the same time maintaining artistic integrity.
That said I'm not sure, song-wise, how well it all jells as an album. I think it may have at least two songs too many. Their are fewer stylistic shifts and even less of Andrew and Sean. I know they're in there, amidst all that layering, but the character of their playing and songwriting seems less evident. While Sean sings the verses on "Flowers" - one of the bonus tracks on the deluxe edition - there's nothing on the original tracklist, though Andrew sings co-lead on "Shark Attack." And I miss them. There's less of a rock focus, more EDM texturing (one notable moment comes in "Hippy Hill" with a out-of-left-field dubstep bridge in the middle of the song) and while that's not bad it seems to muddy the feel of the band. There are hooks throughout, it's just that those songs more devoted to mood than melody seem to flounder a bit in my estimation. When there is a good hook or a catchy melody with interesting sloganeering in the lyrics, then it works nicely. But in a few places I did wish the band had made different choices, such as "Didn't Have To Go," which is an achingly heartbreaking meditation on young love from Hannah, but her vocal is a bit too shrill and forced in the chorus, it undermines the unvarnished longing of her voicings in the verses. On the other hand, I did appreciate the decision to put a percussive coda on the end of "Sit Still," it's nice to have a reminder of what a great drummer Ryan is.
But the album begins and ends wonderfully: "I'm With You" is ambitious and intricate, an indie pop symphony of sorts, and "Save The Party For Me" is a sweet acoustic-based lullaby, again focusing on the chemistry of Christian and Hannah much as "Close Your Eyes and Count To Ten" did on the last album.
The deluxe edition of the release contains three extra tracks, and "Girl" is the best of the lot, featuring Hannah surrounded by shimmering layers of electronica heavy on the reverb.
I tend to believe this album is a grow-er rather than a show-er, it will take time for most of the tracks to worm their way into my heart, and the relationship between the listener and the work has at least a year of connection to occur, hopefully deepening over time. The character of the band and their artistic aims has already taken hold and so any effort, especially that which is forward-thinking, deserves everyone's attention.
