Grebo
EP

review by Ruth


A couple of things to note; firstly Grebo hail from Bristol, home of Massive Attack. Secondly they've only been together a year. Thirdly, they were hand-picked by The Ataris as the support for the final leg of their UK tour - that is, the leg incorporating a sold-out date at the LA2 in London. Something's going on here.

Grebo's first EP is fucking astounding. Just listen to the bouncing low-self-esteem of 'One Step Behind', or the high octane buzz of 'No Time', a ska flavoured guitar intro sliding into short-tempered slam-pit riff. While most of what they write is grounded in sometimes cliché teen angst fallout, songwriter Ben already shows prodigious talent and a skill for wry observance and sharp self-deprecation - hence 'Jerking Off's lyrics about being better off alone, as "noone does it better than you do / when you do it to yourself", or in 'Teenage Thing' "everyone says my temper's short / that just makes me mad". It's still early enough for them to be wearing their influences on their sleeves; 'Let It Go's hints at The Ataris 'Look Forward To Failure' EP, but those glorious chorus harmonies are all their own. If this is the fruit of a year together, then it'll be burgers in the Astoria by tea-time.

4.5/5