Granddaddy – The Sophtware Slump

Perched between innovation and annoyance is Granddaddy. The first eight minutes of The Sophtware Slump are droney, whiny, and high-pitched. Then we get songs about humanoids ditched by their creators, and lost loves inscrutable to magic viewing machines. Sonically the album is a lot like OK Computer, but the concept is Gary Numan (if he was an ironic American). It lacks the vision of either band/artist, but there’s more humor, and a rustic warmth. Something weird emerges from the mix – patently absurd tales sung over genuinely affecting soundscapes. Frisson is the word for it, and while it makes everything a bit flighty, at least the album’s fun to hear, and not an invitation to take the world on your shoulders.
Rating: B