A Sun Full And Drowning
Marshall Teller Records
There’s something reassuring about Grass House’s debut – a quiet confidence that seeps through. This certitude seems a combination of the broad, honest Yorkshire accents, the off-centre subject matter, and that it sounds like Grass House has spent years honing this material when the band actually only formed in 2010.
This culminates in a promising alt-rock record. There’s an interesting balance between the big, stadium rock with frontman Liam Palmer’s downbeat vocals. The lyrics are literary and speak of solitude and reflection; some are disturbingly frank, like in the bluesy Avocado Eyes: ‘my avocado eyes / they will roll to the back of my head / and my regardless tongue / it will run back down my neck’. It’s unexpected, a bit like the music itself, which has enough twists to keep you surprised. Palmer, in his northern English accent, serves up his lyrics wryly with a tone always bleak, sometimes bordering on morose; the effect is akin to Morrissey, Nick Cave or Tom Waits.
Nature and the wilderness are recurrent themes for the band (even in their name). Their album artwork always features collages of mountains and hills. Two songs feature the word ‘wild’ in their names. There’s a feeling of grandness and openness, space and exploration. There’s also an Americana influence; Johnny Cash is clearly one, especially on And Now For The Wild where Palmer strings his dark lyrics in a knowing drawl.
CORAL HUCKSTEP
