Labels are for brands, not for bands. Show me on this review how much do you agree with the previous statement.
Even though they present themselves as indie-pop collective, American band Grouplove is not an easy brand to put an indie label to. The third album titled Big Mess is brave in its sail through the waters of mainstream pop, as it plays by the rules not normative to the genre. Polyphonic singing, abundance of pop-catches and smart utilization of electronic accents and distortions make Grouplove a force to be reckon with.
The album is opened by a signature track Welcome To Your Life, the kind of song that lets you know what will follow in the next 40 minutes. Another pearl in this collection is Standing In The Sun. The celebration of pop music does not continue on the rest of the record, which doesn’t mean it’s not good as a whole piece. It’s just that the choruses do not hit as strong as the album moves further. The album is coherent; it has a head and a tail, although the body can feel weak at times.
For example, Don’t Stop Making It Happen makes you forget everything good. The same can be observed for Cannonball. On a similar note, Heart of Mine leaves an impression of unfinished Queens of the Stone Age song. Enlighten Me is a more solid number, and there are few others that compensate for the flaws.
Maybe I am too picky. Big Mess is 40 minutes of messy fun and maybe that is all that the members wanted to do. I am not going to look for a hair in the egg. For those who are sick of all the morose themes, this is a suitable record. Yes, there may be weak moments, but pop music is the best when you don’t think about it too much.
