Amidst months of hype, sky high expectations and universal tastemaker acclaim, Little Grandad are finally up and running with their debut release ‘Sleepwalking’ / ‘Unmasked’.
With this much attention, devotion and especially with that impressive of a live schedule, it’s hard to believe that this is the first release from the London quartet. Yet, here we are, a double single via Communion which gives us a fitting, informative and really quite enjoyable introduction to a band that will surely define the live circuit for the next couple years.
After early (and utterly adoring) praise from the likes of Steve Lamacq, the band have found their feet through their live show, which has already taken them on multiple support tours with Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Cardinals & The Orchestra (For Now) this year, and their live experience is shown in these recordings, which finds the space to translate all that has made them a special act.
A-Side ‘Sleepwalking’ breezes with sweet guitar sounds that remain present throughout, nicely aiding the signature vocal harmonies that really give Little Grandad their character. While a layer of sadness runs through the lyrics here, it’s far from a deep cut as ‘Sleepwalking’ is armed with undobuted catchinesss in its chorus. It’s instantly intriguing and possesses a quality that makes it clear, ‘Sleepwalking’ was chosen as a single to instantly engage its listeners.
B-Side ‘Unmasked’, is less conventional in its nature. It’s considerably lengthier and takes it’s time to really get going, but it displays Little Grandad at their best, making a deep cut. It’s a dense song lyrically, gushing with pure remorse and regret throughout. It’s a song that hurts without any kind of subtlety, infact its rawness is felt throughout every part of the song, from Jack and Harry’s crackly vocal performances to the comfortably chaotic drum line that shakes the track apart at the finale, Little Grandad exceed in achieving an authentic sense of emotion.
It seems to only be getting busier for Little Grandad, trips to Green Man, End of The Road and Lattitude already pencilled in this year and with no sign of their immense rise faulting, it’s safe to bet on these to rise to unbelievable heights.
Little Grandad perform on the So Young stage at The Great Escape on May 15th. Join us at Chalk.
Photo by Xander Lewis
The new issue of So Young is out now. Buy in print here. Read the digital edition below. Subscribe to receive every issue here.