reviewed by Michael Thomas
There aren’t really any secret codes in either the album title or the artist here. The title refers to the date this EP was recorded. That’s right- the album was recorded just over a week ago and came out two days after the recording was finished. Meanwhile, the letters of the artist name stand for Graham, Spencer, Joe and Feurd- the Graham being Graham Wright.
Wright does not seem to give a shit about announcing things ahead of time, and this is completely fine by me. The experimentation Wright does outside of Tokyo Police Club is always admirable, so an album recorded in a day and released two days later is not unimaginable.
Besides the novelty of the surprise release, the music recorded in one day is all really, really good. Naturally, there wasn’t time to create multilayered and meandering tunes- most of the songs are straightforward and sweet, employing the good old-fashioned acoustic guitar and sometimes electric. There are also other instruments thrown in there like a harmonica.
Wright has always had a knack for attacking subjects in interesting ways, and the songs where he sings main vocals are no exception. The opener “Honeycomb” is a simple ode to what I assume to be a lover. It’s backed by just the acoustic guitar, and features the simple but enigmatic chorus of: “I don’t know what kind of cigarettes you like to smoke/And I don’t know what kind of restaurants you like to go to.” His song “In Record Time” could be called even more adorable, starting with the lines: “I heard you were impossible/But I don’t really care.”
The other “band” members fill in vocal duties on the other songs (my apologies for not being able to identify them by sound). “Messages” takes advantage of both types of guitars in a song about only wanting to leave messages for someone and not wanting to hear their voice.
“Wearing Thin” is a quick song that starts with the band members talking, reminding the listener that this was recorded in ONE DAY. It opens with a harmonica solo, and the harmonica complements the guitar throughout.
“How to Stop Worrying and Start Living,” referencing the Dale Carnegie self-help book, starts with the song’s narrator losing his job again and not wanting to break down and cry while talking to someone on the phone, so he sneezes instead. It’s a witty and fun song.
The EP ends with “End of the Line,” a cover of a Traveling Wilburys number. This song excels because it sounds like (and indeed it is) a song performed by a whole band, with more than one member contributing vocals.
I should also mention that besides this record being great, it’s also free. So get it via Bandcamp now.
Top Tracks: “Honeycomb”; “End of the Line”
Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good) +*swoop*
