Grouplove - Spreading Rumours
The major boost though has come for their profile: the debut album only charted at #75, and this time around they've leapt to #21. Over here in the UK, however, they remain relative unknowns - probably because we have a pretty strong roster of uplifting pop as things stand already - but the record is something of a shift away from those breezy, cheerful and brief pieces that constituted their EP and slipped over onto the LP. Towards the end of Spreading Rumours (and kudos, by the way, for using the Anglicised spelling), the L.A. five piece venture into vaguely grungey and folky territory, to mixed results.
Anyone who heard their first EP/LP will find 'I'm With You' a touch surprising as an opener, with its piano intro feeling a little like the seminal Max Richter's beautiful piece Vladimir's Blues before fine drumwork breaks it up and turns into a more contemporary, energetic cacophany of stuttering vocals and cute sentiments. The album is produced by drummer Ryan Rabin and that's probably the album's greatest strength given the frighteningly exciting nature of 'Borderlines and Aliens', which, without, would otherwise be a fine melody but is given a heck of a punch with. Frontman Christian Zucconi's voice was the debut's most distinguishable feature and again here, on 'Schoolboy' for example, his strained and screaming delivery can sometimes overpower co-vocalist Hannah Hooper, but they've got a good chemistry onstage and it's not always this noisy. Putting across their poppier side to greatest effect is Grammy-winning mixer Manny Marroquin on 'Ways to Go', a pointedly more electronic track that thunders along nicely. Its effect carries over into 'Shark Attack', which retains their EP's optimistic multi-instrumentalisation (steel drums in the intro) and love of cheese.
As is often the case, Spreading Rumours does drift a little around the midway mark: 'Sit Still' has not one comment on its last.fm page, which should explain a lot. The band's general defence is made clear on 'Hippy Hill' ("I'd rather be a hippy than a hipster") but, aside from an odd sudden interruption from some sort of dubstep nightmare, it doesn't hold in the memory for long. 'What I Know' and 'Didn't Have to Go' are similarly fleeting, and verging on the repetitive (especially the latter), which - given my complaint in the conclusion below - does make you wonder why it was included at all.
Largely, though, Grouplove are able to pull off at least one thing per track that makes you sit up and notice them. The crackle and oddly hip-hop beat to 'Bitin' the Bullet' stands out, to effects I'm still not resolved on, whilst Rabin's ear for timing and songwriting makes 'News to Me' one of their slickest and prettiest productions to date. Don't write them off as 'pretty pop' though; the surprisingly indie 'Raspberry' (think debut-era Franz Ferdinand with slightly less smart-arsey lyrics) places Zucconi in prime screaming position and is an immediate highlight. They opt for the more acoustic closer, though, and 'Save the Party' is a cute, Belle and Sebastianesque track.
Spreading Rumours could perhaps do with a little trimming to make it stronger, as 13 tracks for music of this nature can often be a bit too taxing - especially around that midriff - but it's also an incredibly strong collection of songs. The lyrics can verge on silly (I seem to recall something about drinking bottles of vinegar) and the themes might not be particularly deep, but it's a wholly enjoyable record.
Rating: 7.5/10
Highlights:Borderlines and Aliens; Ways to Go; News to Me; Save the Party; I'm With You
Avoid: Sit Still
Artwork Watch: Here.
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