Greys sound like a bunch of other bands. They’re indebted to the Dischord roster, Nirvana, Jawbox and a few Canadian acts of the late ‘90s. And, you know what? It doesn’t matter one bit. ‘If Anything’ is a great record.
Riding a wave of jagged guitars and bolstered by a rhythm section balanced on the precipice between super tight and freewheeling, Shehzaad Jiwani delivers raucous melodies underpinned by lyrics that are at turns perceptive and dripping with sarcasm.
Picking up from their ‘Drift’ 7”, the Toronto quartet have pared back some of their more brutal tendencies, pushing hooks and rapidly shifting time signatures to the foreground
The opening song, named after Guy Picciotto of Fugazi and dealing with music’s ordinary heroes, is a perfect snapshot of the record’s appeal, charging out of the blocks and into not one, but two huge melodies.
Use Your Delusion and Pretty Grim are just as direct, utilising chugging riffs and simple, howled choruses that bend and twist in unexpected directions, while Adderall dips into ‘Incesticide’ territory as the pace is picked up. On the brilliant Chick Singer, Jiwani skewers the punk scene’s continued marginalisation of women: “Can you believe she won’t give me her number? Yeah, you know which way they all swing.”
‘If Anything’ finds Greys one step closer to perfecting their craft, having moulded their influences into a set of songs that are forthright, often very funny and heavy as a bath full of hammers. The classics, when delivered with this much conviction, will never go out of style.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
.jpg)
