Album Review: Big Mess by Grouplove

On their buoyant, third full-length album, 2016's Big Mess, Los Angeles' Grouplove continue their transformation from a kinetic, hippie-dance pop outfit into a mature, if still playful, radio-ready act. The album follows the group's equally inspired 2013 effort Spreading Rumors, and showcases the talents of lead vocalist/guitarist Christian Zucconi, lead vocalist/keyboardist Hannah Hooper, drummer Ryan Rabin, guitarist Andrew Wessen, and bassist Daniel Gleason, who replaced Sean Gadd in 2014. Once again, Rabin (son of Yes' Trevor Rabin) takes the production helm.

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On "Traumatized," a song deep into Los Angeles pop-rock outfit Grouplove's third album, singer Christian Zucconi is swollen with pride for his woman, who has "a baby in her blouse." "She is my only one true love in the world!" he snarls amid surging guitars. It's a rare moment of tangible emotion for a band who have perfected big, benign, radio-friendly rock songs alongside similarly innocuous bands like Young the Giant, Foster the People and Of Monsters and Men. Album opener "Welcome to Your Life" seems almost desperately like a cap-and-gown single that sighs, coos and exhales its way into Jeff Lynne's dream-pop orbit.

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The other week, I read an op-ed from an American college student, arguing the case for big businesses in downtown Athens, GA. The case? Lines are long for that treasured chai latte! Why should a student care where their money goes to when they’ve got five minutes between classes? Fascinating, innit, how a group of rich entitled brats can demand so much for themselves from a community that was never theirs to begin with. A few weeks further back, Grouplove popped into Triple J in Australia to cover Dune Rats’ boozy dude bro anthem 'Bullshit'.

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