by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Things just seem to move a bit slower out West. Case in point, Denver slowcore trio American Grandma, who are set to release their third album early next month. Superdog, due out December 6th via Obsolete Media Objects drips with the same melancholic ooze as 90’s favorites Codeine and Bedhead, creating stretched tempos that dip in and out of tangled post-hardcore, with an acerbic texture to their lurching cinematic progressions. Their tonality is all shades of grays, like a heavy fog rolling over your day and picking apart any shimmering sunlight piece by piece.
For all the molasses paced plodding that Superdog relies upon, lead single “Brennan” is probably the fastest (and certainly the “breeziest”) song on the record, with a jazzy flourish that feels downright urgent in comparison to the tracks that come before and after it. Despite that, American Grandma are still true to form, with delicately woven guitar and bass knotting itself just over the rhythmic patchwork. Jensen Keller (guitar/vocals) softly drifts his vocals with extended syllables, floating them out as the progressions create a steady build, slinking their way to a cosmic crescendo heavy on cymbals and tension.