GROUNDERS play the Horseshoe on Wednesday (June 12) as part of NXNE. Rating: NNN
Grounders are one of those bands that make you think about influences. On their lushly produced debut EP, opening tune Grand Prize Drawl instantly brings Grizzly Bear to mind. Crown Land showcases eerie Mercury Rev-style singing. Strokesian swagger intermittently presents itself, while Braids-like textures chime and swell.
Which isn’t to say that the Toronto five-piece led by Andrew Davis isn’t creating something unique. The diverse and elegant indie rock sounds often shift against each other in unexpected ways, without undermining the record’s cohesion and grace.
The dudes are intelligent players with good taste – promising, even if they don’t completely stand out from the pack.
Top track: Crown Land
