Grooms

TheOwlMag on Grooms

Grooms Rejoicer [Death by Audio]

With many of the pieces already in place, i.e., youthful energy, loner lyrics, and an eagerness to explore beyond the trappings of off-kilter chords and distortion, Rejoicer hits all the right spots—almost. Like their contemporaries—Abe Vigoda, Sonic Youth, or Women—Grooms have delivered on their own brand of loud-quiet-quiet-loud, distortion-heavy indie rock.

Lead singer and guitarist Travis Johnson’s guitar minglings drill and grind, ultimately plateauing on almost every track. But, there’s also the right amount of white space in between the mind crunching guitar freakouts. For instance, “She-Bears” is one of the more fearless songs on the album. Band mate Emily Ambrusso introduces the song by offering a sharp and hollowed background echo that underpins the the track’s swelling crescendos. Johnson and Ambrusso play up the right kind of guitar frenzies on top of minimal breaks in their music that serve as sanctuaries of provocation and stimulation.

Besides a few throwaway tracks, Grooms deserve credit where credit is deserved. Though their influences are forthright, like spots on a cheetah, Rejoicer is a solid debut full of ethereal dissonant noise pop.