REVIEW: Grandaddy - Just Like The Fambly Cat
Grandaddy known for their brand of stoned slacker indie pop have released their fifth (and sadly) final release Just Like The Fambly Cat. On a superficial level, the cover collage for this release is by far the most entertaining I've seen in long time. The poor "Fambly Cat" wondering the endless highway is brilliant and cheeky at the same time.
Fambly presents more edge to Grandaddy's usually laid back pop by layering lead guitar and rauchy keyboard riffs ontop of their otherwise straightforward song arrangements. This is evident in the track "Rear View Mirror" which starts with the protocol dreamy sound but builds using the clever lyric: "What the hell while I've been trying to drive somewhere," to a chorus of chunky guitar sounds that eventual lead to a blazing rock guitar solo.
In fact, Fambly, is ladden with witty lyrics about nothing throughout. "Where I'm Anymore" presents itself from the perspective of a the lost fambly cat wandering the streets finding its way home. It even includes a chorus of harmonised "meow's."
On "Elevate Myself" Grandaddy kick off the song with a catchy keyboard riff and ironically lead into the opening lyric:
I don't want to work all night and day on songs that make the young girls cry / Or playing little solos on the keyboard so the kids will ask me how and why
Almost in parody of the song itself they then continue to layer keyboard riffs and mayhem throughout making this the most fun and memorable track of the album.
A shame that a band releases their best album only to breakup at the same time. I also expect this one to be a sleeper hit for 2006.
Rating: 4/5