As Grande As
Album by Grande Mahogany
Released 9 February 2024
Psychedelic Rock / Funk Rock
Label – Laundry
Rating – 8/10
Grande Mahogany’s psychedelic party is like no other.
–
Grande Mahogany’s Jesse Essel lives to keep the people on their toes as they tap them. Debut album As Grande As enhances the indie-extrovert atmospheres one may associate with a Toro y Moi, whilst going back in time to redevelop the free-flows of Sly Stone and bizzarro world of George Clinton.
It’s a stupid, fucked-up, psychedelic party that grooms excellence in songwriting despite rarely insisting on such. Super Rocker is the acidic Superfly, a pill of a song that fizzes in a cup with ‘70s wah-wah guitars, Raymond Pounds-esque drums, and refrains that get stuck in your teeth. It lives in a hypnagogic spell, as does Angle of the Dangle, which showcases Essel’s fanciful vocal range, soulfully high-noting against some of the most frantic wetted-out guitar licks and rocked-out drumbeats.
Living in an indie posterchild world has never sounded so freaky funky. Essel will grab hold of Mac DeMarco chorus guitars (Shades Ebony) and shady UMO soundscapes (Garden Sefine) and go full madman on them.
It’s hard to discuss the sense of madness one may associate with modern music without sounding as though you’re exaggerating, but it’s no exaggeration, As Grande As is mad, and Grande Mahogony has a blast being mad. Where else would the weird proclamations, swooning vox, guzzling reeds, hand drums and stick insect guitars of Thundercurls coexist? Nowhere, that’s where.
Best tracks – Angle of the Dangle – Thundercurls – Super Rocker.
Rating – 8 out of 10
PEANUTBUTTERPOPE 