Grouplove
Spreading Rumours
Reviewed by: Jane Roser
LA-based indie/alternative rock band Grouplove releases it’s sophomore album Spreading Rumours and has a clever marketing ploy to entice fans. The band has funky artsy-fartsy posters hung all around New York City and you could win passes to any show all over the world by Instagraming your photo of one of these posters with the hashtag #Spreading RumoursNYC. Just don’t forget to spell it the Brit way.
Grouplove’s 2011 debut album, Never Trust A Happy Song, featured the #1 hit “Tongue Tied” and shot this five-piece band to the top, allowing them play big-time festivals such as Bonnaroo, Coachella and Lollapalooza. Their new single, “Ways To Go”, premiered on LA-based radio station KROQ this past week and has since reached the top 10 on the Alternative airplay chart. Not too shabby for a band that formed at an artist’s retreat on the island of Crete in 2009 and includes drummer Ryan Rabin whose talent runs in the family; his dad, Trevor Rabin, was a member of the 80s super group Yes and wrote the well-known pop tune “Owner Of A Lonely Heart”.
The 13 tracks are whimsical, quirky, catchy and most of all, unexpected. “Borderlines And Aliens” starts off with a hard electric guitar riff and with lyrics such as “I lost my head at the gate today, so ari ari ari gato”. It had me thinking that this would be a fun karaoke song at Comic Con, or if anything, would be a great way to introduce American youth to learn how to say ‘thank you’ in Japanese. “Shark Attack” is a nifty tune that is cleverly mixed and layered. I loved the verse “I swear you look like Lucifer (growl). The green is blue and so are you and now we go to Jupiter.” It’s just so wacky that it works. The only song I wasn’t too hot in the pants for was the first track, “I’m With You”. I had flashbacks of watching an episode of ‘The Brady Bunch hanging out at the mall buying matching polyester outfits, but otherwise it’s a kick-ass album.
Spreading Rumours is a lot like the orgasm scene in When Harry Met Sally. It’s delightful and addictive and if your best friend is rocking along to this album on your next road trip, go ahead and say it: “I’ll have what she’s having.” You won’t be disappointed.
Rating: Bad-ass
