Let's Eat Grandma - "I'm All Ears"

Let's Eat Grandma is the bizarre but strangely charming Psych Pop duo of Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth.  Now, this is a weird project, but since their debut in 2016, "I, Gemini", I can't help but be fascinated by the duo.  Their blend of Psych Pop alongside Electronic music and Experimental isn't exactly the freshest sound around.  But the ladies with their playful charm and almost bubblegum approach to often morbid topics is absolutely fascinating.  So, the duo is back and are making big waves with these new singles.  And seriously, how can't they be?  Their production has come a long way and they sound fantastic.  Just as eerie and twisted, but more playful than ever. 

This album starts off with “Whitewater”.  Honestly, this is exactly where I wanted to hear this album startup.  I love just how dark and fantasy oriented this Synth-Wave track is.  It may sound like it was rejected from the “Stranger Things” soundtrack.  But man is it ever good.  It really puts you in the mood for the duo’s unique, whimsical brand of Indie Pop.  But all around this production is just so crushing, so much more polished, and most importantly more abrasive than their debut.  Hell yea, this is a great start.  Now, a lot of the innocence and charm has certainly carried over from the duo’s first album, as well as their very unique personalities.  But with this newfound explosive production that they’re working with, everything seems next level.  “Hot Pink” is practically a banger.  It’s smooth for its verses, with some really great throwback synths as well as some charming vocals.  But this chorus is absolutely gigantic and has me wanting to completely freak out.  Of course, Electronic mastermind SOPHIE is behind this, but what a great combo this is.  Between her very warped production and the freakish Pop of Let’s Eat Grandma, this is a fantastic pairing and a freakish Pop tune for the ages.  It’s catchy when it needs to be, but half of the time I feel like this will also reach out and bite you.  Now, I honestly really love the very futuristic vibes of this album.  Like, what I wanted the most to hear from listening to their early work, was an absolute overhaul on production, and that’s what this album has in spades.  I love how charming and cute “It’s Not Just Me” is.  This one isn’t nearly as much of a banger, but this shows the group working with a tremendous amount of confidence.  This is a sweet, upbeat Pop tune with plenty of catchy synths.  Now, personally, with this one, I do wish their personality came out a little more, and part of me feels like this comes off as a cover.  But still, “It’s Not Just Me” is seriously charming.  This album rolls on with “Falling Into Me”, and I have to say, I love just how grand and shimmering this comes off.  The duo’s early work had a very amateurish charm to it that was legitimately experimental, and I wouldn’t mind hearing more of that, to be honest.  However, this very grand and epic sound it’s replaced with is pretty fantastic.  I love the icy synths, pulsing beats, and the ridiculous drumming.  There are some pretty rhythms, and the girls just seem so comfortable with it all.  Hell, there’s even some serious swagger to “Falling Into Me” that I just love.  But there’s also plenty of organic material here with the live piano melodies that give this some nice human qualities.  

Now, I’ll be real with y’all. “Snakes & Ladders” is by far my least favorite track here, and is also the tamest one.  It’s just so much more sluggish, and while I do really love the ladies passionate performances, I’m not nearly as interested in what’s going on here sadly.  Now, the very cosmic production and the song synths are all gravy, and I do love the very intense verses.    But outside of that, this one just isn’t nearly as playful or entertaining, and not nearly as charming.  I want to like this one so badly, because those synths are so tasteful, and the production on this album as a whole is just so refreshing.  But I can’t get behind this one, it’s just not nearly as exciting.  Now, “Missed Cal (1)” may be a 40-second instrumental.  And no, it doesn’t offer anything major.  But it’s massively playful and goes with the vibe of this album wonderfully.  Now, “I Will Be Waiting” instantly actually adds a really great emotional sound to the mix, which is something I love hearing from these guys.  The vocals are back in my good graces, and the synths are bouncy and playful, despite this one being a little more downtrodden.  Now, in every way, this is a different realm for the duo.  This is a heart-wrenching ballad, and far from the playful Psychedelic Pop, we were introduced to years ago.  But man, it really works wonders for them.  These vocals here are so determined and have this passion that I haven’t really heard from Let’s Eat Grandma.  All of this, while not giving up on remaining truly whimsical and experimental.  It’s the emotional ballad I didn’t really know I wanted here.  And with “The Cat's Pyjamas” we have another very playful instrumental which honestly doesn’t do anything to progress the album.  But it’s fun, and certainly not boring. 

Then we have “Cool & Collected”, one of the longest tracks here.  As far as a more stripped down track goes from this duo though, this is actually really charming and sweet and captures the innocence of their early work so well.  But as this one rolls on it just gets bigger, darker and more powerful.  I love the hazy atmosphere and the overlapping instrumentals that give this one more of a Psychedelic vibe than I think they intended.  It is on the delicate side though, which is really interesting.  But it makes things genuinely exciting when the duo’s very cutting and powerful vocals break in.   For an emotional track, I honestly feel like this is a high point of the album.  I don’t feel like it necessarily needed to be 9 minutes long, and it could have been heavier as far as production goes.  But this is still a deeply emotional track.  And I have to give credit where it’s due, those last 3 minutes are ridiculously epic and strong.  Now, at this point, I’m totally fine with a piano ballad, which is what we get with “Ava”.  And not too shockingly, it’s a wildly emotional and passionate tune.  These are some of the most pained and personal lyrics of the album, and I honestly can’t get enough of it.  I even wish they took this a step further and added in some more instrumentals.  But for a serious ballad, this is heart-wrenching.  I have to give the ladies credit, this all around is so much bigger than their debut.  “Donnie Darko” for a finale though, is incredibly hard to place.  The synths on this one are genuinely mysterious, and the hazy guitars are fascinating.  But in times like this, more than anything I just wish this was a little more direct.  With all of these instrumentals going in and out, it’s genuinely tough to keep track of whats going on.   And yea, that’s cool for a while.  But when it goes on for 11 minutes, it gets a little grating.  Some of the best moments here have been some of the more straightforward cuts.  But this is far from that.  Now, I’ll be honest, when things pick up eventually, this gets genuinely experimental and likable.  But I just wish it was maybe a little more direct.  

Rating: 7.7/10

Give A Listen To: “Hot Pink”, “Falling Into Me”, “I Will Be Waiting”, “Ava’

Least Favorite Track: “Snakes and Ladders”

Genre: Art Pop / Synth Pop / Psychedelic Pop

Overall Thoughts:  The Experimental Pop duo Let’s Eat Grandma return here with an album with endlessly better production and more creative song structures.  Now, it’s not as genuinely strange and almost whimsical as their debut.  But this is an all around much more mature and personal album.  We get everything here from quirky bangers to piano ballads, and most of it is solid.  There are a few tracks on here where I wish they pushed themselves further, and some instances where I wish the duo’s quirky personalities came out more.  But if you’re looking for some genuinely intriguing Pop, give this a shot!