Great Grandpa have returned from a five-year release gap with Patience, Moonbeam, an eleven-track collection of their most uniquely identifying work to date. Formerly based in Seattle, the quintet are now spread across various countries and states, making this album a demanding collaborative effort. The result heard in Patience, Moonbeam is a musical space that has plenty of room to breathe with fully developed song ideas.
The members of Great Grandpa have each leveraged their love of music that translates through many different genre influences heard on the album: there’s a country twang-tinged guitar, indie rock-inspired drumming, vocals that sound like a cross-section of emotional and indie pop, the occasional appearance of a charming pedal steel. At first listen, there can be a cognitive dissonance for someone who is working to peg the sound without having a sonic through-line. Every song on the album feels fully developed, giving each track a distinct identity. However the album doesn’t suffer from an unclear genre classification – thanks in part to the strength of the songwriting. Song ideas and lyrics are contributed by most members of the band which creates an album that naturally ebbs and flows with the alternating styles. Interluding songs like the title track alongside the extended intros and outros of other songs help weave the many sonic threads together. There’s a bridge for the ideas to cross over between the tracks, creating subtle shifts among the songs. This multi-pronged approach has allowed Great Grandpa to emerge having a singular sound, one unique to their time.
Subtle production elements, such as the opening moments of “Task,” seamlessly extend the album’s intricately crafted dimensions. Tracks like “Junior,” “Ladybug,” and “Ephemera” are heavy with melodies that quickly become timeless classics. “Doom” begins with a Radiohead-esque feel before shifting into a Midwest emo-inspired finale, while “Kid” introduces a larger-than-life band sound, making for a powerful and fitting closing track. Throughout the album, themes of emotional vulnerability, healing, growth, and the complexities of relationships are deeply woven, exploring moments of dissatisfaction and connections forged through shared pain.
Great Grandpa’s Patience, Moonbeam is a very nuanced slow burner that will warrant many repeat listens. It’s an album for old fans and new, a layered and textured work that will make you fall in love with Great Grandpa with each subsequent spin.
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