Alright, so let’s get the facts of the band out of the way. Grouplove is an Alternative Rock band, from Seattle (of course). It’s composed of five different people. To make this short and sweet so we can get to the juicy stuff, this band formed in 2009 because they became friends and hit it off, and cool friends make cool bands. From that, Grouplove was born.
Grouplove, to me, is the epitome of “coming of age” film music (imagine The Perks of Being a Wallflower). As soon as I begin listening to their music I can automatically envision myself throwing my hands and half my body out the window screaming “I LOVE LIFEEEE” while driving down a busy highway. I guess you could call it slap-happy music in a way too because I don’t think there’s a single Grouplove song that makes me sad. Instead of making me emotional, it has a way of pumping my blood up and getting my adrenaline going. This music also has a way of making me feel like I’m with a group of fun people, even if I’m alone, weird right? I think it has to do with the group singing within the band (as in its not just one person), it naturally feels more collective, almost like campfire singing. To summarize the vibe I would say it is:
slap-happy young spirited campfire-esque music
Now, its time to get into some music technicality. A lot of Grouplove’s style comes from the fact that they don’t sound perfect. Their music has just enough grit to make it sound raw, relatable, and realistic to the listener, but clean enough that it won’t sound like trash coming out of speakers. It’s music that incorporates the human body like; clapping, harmonization, and screaming. It’s also music that incorporates parts of instruments we don’t always hear in modern music, like; the kick of a bass drum or the pure plucking of guitar strings. However, this doesn’t mean that they stray away from the electronic aspects of music. They are known to use heavy synth and vocal manipulators if it adds to the dynamic of the song itself, but I would in no way call their music electronic, more so experimental. That’s what makes Grouplove is so unique, they don’t really sound like anyone else, they have their own unique style.
When it comes to new bands, it can be hard to start finding songs that aren’t just their top 10, so I’m going to list some songs to help kick start anyone’s journey into falling in love with Grouplove.
- Colours– This contains a lot of intense drumming and amazing background vocals and screaming. The main vocals in this song have a nice worn-out sound, making it more relaxed for the listener. The song in itself is a great way to summarize their kind of style.
- Shark Attack– This song is definitely more electronic than rest but in the most intense and lovely way. Not to mention, this is literally about a shark attack and all the emotions that go along with it. It will automatically transport you to the beach and put you into the mind of the victim and… the shark.
- Welcome To Your Life– That’s right, maybe you got it from the title of the song, but this is for their baby! The whole song is a giant rollercoaster of soft and loud, scared and happy, and most of all, excited to say hello. This is the perfect song to kickstart anyone’s day.
After all this, I hope that It’ll be more clear if Grouplove is the right fit for whoever desires to check them out. They really are different and will forever hold a special place in my heart. There’s no other band out there that can evoke the emotion of feeling like you just jumped out of a John Green novel. If you like Indie Alt-Rock happy music, this is the band for you.
Local Music Junkie 