GRANDMAS HOUSE BEAR THEIR TEETH WITH PUNCHY DEBUT ALBUM ‘BABY YOU’RE A WINNER’

ALBUM REVIEW | GRANDMAS HOUSE – BABY YOU’RE A WINNER’ by Michaela Roper

There are four pairs of sharp nails clinging to the underside of Bristol’s beloved Clifton Suspension Bridge – and four faces bearing spikey teeth and an all-round punkish attitude. Their throats emit a gritty, in-your-face tone, rattling off gnarly lyrics with a reassuring sense of self that oozes with coolness. Where did they come from? Grandmas House, of course.

This grizzly four piece hailing from the South West are offering up their debut album Baby You’re A Winner as an almost sacrificial, ceremonial homage to their post-punk influences, blended with a unique vocal monotony that sneaks up on you like a bass-infused spoken word act. Grandmas House began not in a rickety bungalow, but in university halls as a female-fronted trio before blossoming into an earthy, grunge-driven outfit with a spooky retro vibe.

The album’s titular and opening track ‘Baby You’re A Winner’ solidly lays the groundwork for the coarse and bounding soundscapes to follow. Yasmin Berndt’s forcefully pleasant drones whip you quickly into shape as you settle down for the opening act – yet there’s nothing settling, or down, about the track. It’s pacy, dynamic, and layered with spectral backing vocals that mimic a ghostly monologue of sorts.

Instrumentally, the song promises post-punk foundations in angular guitar work and boundingly spooky basslines, a groove that feels almost hypnotic when working in tandem with drooping vocals. ‘Baby You’re A Winner’ undergoes a rocking mid-track epiphany that wouldn’t sound out of place in a modern cowboy flick, then perks up in a run into the even grittier and aptly named track ‘DOG’ – a punchy yet melodic argument with an incredibly tight drum track and touches of vocal interplay courtesy of drummer and co-vocalist Poppy Dodgson.

‘Blue Oblivion’ stumbles into vision with a somber, downbeat timbre before breaking into an angsty confessional soundtracked by unexpectedly chipper guitar rhythms. One for the teenage yearners, for sure.

Grandmas House have certainly uncovered their house style, and it’s far from outdated or musty. Their melodic work is a complimentary blend between the uncanny and the modernity of post-punk seen in records by Shame, Squid or Parquet Courts, and the like. The ferocity of the overlapping female voices here add a dimensional element that feels sharply polished and theatrical in a rather gloomy, gothic way. Through tales of angst, lost love, betrayal and self-discovery, the grunge rockers traverse time and space, assisted by tracks chock full with relentlessly nuanced instrumentals and noise that packs a punch, but enters with a bit of a laidback feel. The four-piece sound at ease in their talents across the record, which is certainly no mean feat.

The next haunting element to follow could easily soundtrack an upcoming Peaky Blinders episode. The unsuspecting middle track ‘Dance’ reels with a pace akin to the likes of Nick Cave, but propelled by the rawness of Yasmin Berndt’s vocal work, launches centre stage with wiggling guitar riffs and stumbling backing vocals. The brass-laden build to explosion with trumpet-esque elements might not strike you as punk enough, but fill an unexpected gap with some haunting flair.

Grandmas House succeed effortlessly in pairing lyrics with melodies and instrumental kicks that perfectly encompass their grunginess, seen best in the rumbling pace of ‘Next Big Hit (Choo Choo)’ as the staccato lyrical work and snippets of gritty humour craft a punchy exemplar of their theatrical post-punk style.

The final three tracks of Baby You’re A Winner ring out with a more haunting tonal shift, foregrounding some hugely gritty guitar sounds and strong drum efforts across tracks like ‘I Miss That House’ and ‘How It Is’ with punchy vulnerability and such personal rawness. The album comes to a slower end with final track ‘Spring’ – a more gentle, pining monologue brimming with a steady eeriness that feels all-too familiar. The repetition of lyrical stints throughout the chorus seem to maintain that quintessential spookiness that Grandmas House have claimed as their own.

As a debut record, the haunting four-piece have really distinguished their bark from their bite, presenting an incisive run of tracks which all bear a unique, individual ghostliness whilst crafting the perfect instrumental landscape for the band’s future endeavours. The band’s post-punk influences have been moulded into a modernist take on grunge-infused rock, expertly muddled with tastes of jazz and theatre that make each track stage ready.

Grandmas House have cemented their musical direction into every corner of Baby You’re A Winner – a certainly apt name for a debut record brimming with a dark personality and layers of instrumental prowess.

Baby You’re A Winner is out on the 21st August under Brace Yourself Records – buy/stream here. Want to celebrate their debut album? Join Grandmas House at an intimate record store show near you, or on tour in November, with tickets available here.