So it has been a little while since The Grip Weeds last released an album of original songs. Maybe you could even say it has been a long while. The band's new album Soul Bender, out now on JEM Records, is the long-awaited follow-up to 2018's Trip Around The Sun. But no one is going to complain about having to wait so long for an album this good.
The time the band took to create Soul Bender and bring it into the world was clearly well-spent. It's obvious that Kurt, Rick, Kristin, and Dave put everything they had into making a nearly flawless pop rock record — an album that matches and perhaps even surpasses the best works in their catalog. Every song is an absolute gem. And in terms of a musical vision, this is dazzling stuff: explorative and forward-looking yet still anchored in the timeless melodies and lush harmonies of later '60s pop. This release could immediately be placed in museum as a proper representation of what a well-produced rock album should sound like. In an era where "big production" is too often a euphemism for the slick polishing of a mediocre product, here we are treated to music production as a form of art itself: every sonic detail intended to serve the songs and elevate them to their full potential. And while that classic '60s sound is fundamental to any Grip Weeds release, it's only a starting point for a varied and sophisticated musical journey. The album title suggests an antidote to the soul-sucking times we live in, and sure enough these 12 tracks are a joy to behold. If you're in the mood to rock, songs like "Spinning the Wheel," "Fragmented," and the title track are sure to satisfy. If gorgeous guitar pop is your thing, the likes of "(Gene Clark) Broken Wing," "Flowers for Cynthia," and "Someone In Love" will be right in your sweet spot. Elsewhere, the jangly "If You were Here" and sun-kissed ballad "Love Comes in Different Ways" are ever-so-slight detours from the band's core sound that could not fit the album more perfectly.
The formula of great songs, great singing, and stellar production seems simple enough, yet it's so much harder to execute than most people realize. Like the label they record for, The Grip Weeds are an American treasure. What they're both doing needs to be appreciated.
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