Hello, then, to Grammatics, an unfeasibly youthful-looking Leeds combo, as they unleash their debut single unto the world.
Of course, the responsibility of the debut single is considerable. It’s got to convince the listener that this band, with their lack of pedigree, is worth investing time in. It’s got to represent the act as unique, innovative, necessary. In short, it’s got to quickly warm up a cold audience and leave them wanting more. No mean feat, yet by these criteria, ‘Shadow Committee’ does a good job.
Sure, perhaps it’s a little close to the precocious emoting of Panic! At The Disco for comfort, though a little less verbose and a little more, well, interesting. It’s an elusive beast, twisting and turning in order to avoid easy definition – you get the feeling they don’t think of their songs’ constituent parts as verses and choruses, but rather as movements.
By the end, it’s a far more exhausting four minutes than one might have bargained for, which can only be a good thing, yet despite the invention, it’s still a pleasingly coherent listen. Grammatics aren’t the finished article - they do run the risk of favouring the head over the heart slightly too much - but the potential is certainly there.
-
7Dan Cooper-Gavin's Score