Grouplove are back with Ways to Go

A couple of years back, I reviewed Grouplove’s concert in Sydney. I actually headed along as a favour to a magazine editor, who needed someone to cover the gig last-minute. Knowing little about the band, I wasn’t especially looking forward to it. Ninety minutes later, I had experienced one of the best live shows I’d ever seen to the point that I’m positively weeing myself with excitement about a new release from them.

‘Fun’ is a hard thing to achieve in music without coming across as insincere or just plain annoying, but the Californian quintet are fun with a capital F-U-N and there is nothing remotely contrived about them. When Christian Zucconi got the crowd to join in with some wolf-like howling at the gig I attended, when vocalist Hannah Hooper bopped around delightfully and when Englishman Sean Gadd grooved on the bass and stalked the stage, there wasn’t even a hint of histrionics. Rather, this was five people having a bloody good time and wanting nothing more than for the crowd to feed off their bonhomie.

And then there’s the tunes. Like a merrier Modest Mouse and making the noise of a plethora of Polyphonic Sprees, Grouplove have crafted a fine collection of singalong anthems, like Lovely Cup, the hard-to-Google-without-ending-up-on-a-sex-offenders-register Naked Kids, Tongue Tied and the epic indie of Colours.

Many bands could learn a lot from Grouplove; they deliver a wonderfully feel-good vibe while having the songs to back it up and an undeniable sense of believability. The brilliant news is that they are back with a new album, which is preluded by lead single, Ways To Go. Check out the ace video above and then get ready for the imminent arrival of new longplayer, Spreading Rumours. Follow the band on Facebook to stay up to date.

Words by Bobby Townsend.