In the hallowed halls of rock ‘n’ roll history, where the echoes of the past reverberate through the present, The Golden Grass emerges like a musical phoenix, breathing life into a sound that’s both a nod to the classics and a leap into the cosmic unknown. With their fourth studio album, “Life Is Much Stranger,” this New York City heavy rock trio delivers a mind-blowing masterpiece that stands tall and wild, eclipsing their entire previous discography.
“Life Is Much Stranger” is a massive and epic sonic adventure, a post-modern collage of rock ‘n’ roll ideology that swells and bursts with hard, heavy, and progressive musical energies. In this album, the past isn’t merely a reference point; it’s an integral part of the present, a vivid reminder that The Golden Grass are not here to mimic but to evolve. They are moving the sound forward, pushing the boundaries of what rock can be in this day and age.
One of the group’s defining goals has always been to connect the dots between their influences, to reconcile vintage ideas that may have never coexisted in their original time and place. “Life Is Much Stranger” accomplishes this with finesse, creating a new artistic vision that synergizes these influences like a warm blanket. The result is a sound that feels both ancient and cosmically contemporary, as if it screams from long ago yet could only exist in this very moment.
What makes this album even more intriguing is its origin story. Conceived over several tumultuous years, including the chaos and confusion of a global pandemic, the music on “Life Is Much Stranger” has never seen an audience, and these songs have never been performed live. In fact, the recording of the album was the first time the band members fully grasped the essence of their new creations.
The journey began in the summer of 2019 but was abruptly halted in early 2020. Over the next two years, the band faced infrequent rehearsals, health challenges, and an uncertain future for their art. Yet, slowly and disjointedly, they pieced together seven rough gems that would become this album. From September to October 2022, the group worked tirelessly across three studios in NYC, refining their rough song-forms into polished, surreal, glistening pieces of art. The result is a testament to their resilience and creative spirit.
“Life Is Much Stranger” is an amalgamation of hard rock boogie, jazzy progressive rock, psychedelic exploration, and incendiary proto-metal. It’s a sonic journey that takes you through soulful harmony-layered vocals and masterful instrumental technicality. The album is an otherworldly creative ambition realized, and it sounds absolutely incredible.
“Life Is Much Stranger” is a musical odyssey that transcends time and genre, inviting you to experience the strange and wondrous world of The Golden Grass. This album is a testament to the enduring power of rock ‘n’ roll and the boundless creativity of those who dare to push its boundaries.
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Released by Heavy Psych Sounds Records on April 7, 2023
