Label: Brace Yourself Records
For a punk group from the UK, Grandmas House seem to be doing everything right. They have supported IDLES, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs and TV Priest, played SXSW and Green Man and are about to set off on a headline UK Tour.
‘Who Am I’, the follow up to the 2021 self-titled EP, is short, snappy, honest and a lot of fun. The instrumentals are gloriously messy, the vocals as raw as you could ask for and the production captures the wild energy of a basement show.
The opener ‘Body’ hits hard immediately. The punchy drums build serious tension throughout the track, at one point entirely cutting out. This relentless energy is matched by dirty guitars and Yasmin Berndt’s wild vocal wails. The abrupt finish fits this short style release perfectly. The lyrics are equally dark: “you do not recognise the bodies in the water”.
‘How Does It Feel’ somehow ramps up the energy even more. With a mix of French and English vocals, the lyrics tell “you can feel my heart in your fingertips” and the instrumental is equally tactile. The tempo gets increasingly faster, giving the track a manic, unwieldy energy and it really feels like we’re in this room of chaos. As the tempo fluctuates, it is clear how much control Grandmas House have over this project.
Third track ‘Desire’ does feel like a slight slump compared to the previous tracks. While the passion is still there, the band can’t really afford to have a drop in energy on a release this short. The instrumental is still solid but lacks the manic excitement of the rest of the EP.
Luckily, the title track makes up for this. The track feels more stripped back, being carried by a simple baseline. The lyrics are brutal and honest: “I’ll never be straightforward, unless I really hate you / and if you’re expecting love, I’ll only disappoint you.” This track is the perfect example of just how much fun the band are having. Towards the end of the track, they even trick us by cutting out completely, before returning after a few seconds for one more raucous encore.
All in all, this is a seriously fun, punchy EP that truly captures the personality of a really exciting punk band.
‘Who Am I’ is out now on Brace Yourself Records.
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