Let's Eat Grandma Combine All Their Influences For "I'm All Ears"

It's always refreshing to hear many different genres come together in unique ways. Let's Eat Grandma is an English duo that is as eclectic as they are confident. Let's Eat Grandma combine all their influences for I'm All Ears, an album with a modern touch and a unique presence.

Let's Eat Grandma starts the album deceptively familiarly. One artist whom they draw a lot of inspiration from is CHVRCHES, and that's exactly what they sound like for the first half of the first full track 'Hot Pink.' The verses have a sensitive nature to them, the light electronica and frail melodies establishing a vulnerable sense, but then the demanding choruses kick in with a punch of feminist power and the whole vibe changes. Dynamic both sonically and lyrically, 'Hot Pink' is a perfect introduction to what Let's Eat Grandma is all about, because it certainly doesn't calm down from there. The very feminine record doesn't stray away from sweeter moments like in 'It's Not Just Me' which oozes with love and the beautiful lyrics to the gorgeous build of 'Falling Into Me' where the duo sing like Lorde, chanting "Our handprints pressed to my window / I was feeling quite right like this as the lightning glitched and it echoed in your eyes, beating right through the denim" as they document being the one to initiate in a relationship as a woman.

There's a lot more to I'm All Ears than just being a woman; it's an album about growth, too. The cinematic album opener 'Whitewater' brings the album to life with its pulsating synth, as if it gave the album a beating heart, and the enigmatic, cinematic atmosphere it builds seems to be more fitting of the introduction to a film than an album. In many ways, however, it does feel like I'm All Ears is a movie. The album's energetic start leads to more introspective tracks, starting with 'Snakes & Ladders,' which can sonically be described as CHVRCHES meets Pink Floyd. It has a more dejected vibe absent from all tracks before, bringing the album to its more reflective side. It feels sort of like an aftermath, and 'I Will Be Waiting' supports that by being nearly the direct opposite of the song with an epic, poppy build, though with a sad optimism that assures the listener, "I will be waiting for you." 'Cool & Collected' tries to keep calm in the face of its tragedy with its mysterious folk rock atmosphere. It becomes more introspective on 'Ava,' a track that realizes that things only get more complicated as you get older. Closing track 'Donnie Darko' is an eleven minute epic of self-exploration, evolving from a personal alternative rocker to a disco-influenced, celebratory track. It's an acceptance of growing up, and embracing it while still remembering the past.

Let's Eat Grandma combine all their influences for I'm All Ears as they learn to accept the coming of age and themselves. It's an album about life and celebrating the good and bad, and being okay that sometimes things won't be so simple. Diverse in sound and important in meaning: don't let this one slip under the radar.

Favorite Tracks: Falling Into Me, Donnie Darko, I Will Be Waiting, Snakes & Ladders

Least Favorite Track: It's Not Just Me

Rating: 94 / 100

Stream or buy I'm All Ears on Apple Music, and follow our 2018 Playlist on Spotify: