Grandaddy
Just Like The Fambly Cat
V2

So Just Like The Fambly Cat turns out to be the tombstone for Grandaddy, as Jason Lytle deceided to dissolve the band. Lytle's of course main man, almost dictator (possibly quite humane), as he's been doing almost everything: writing, playing, producing. That said "his boys" - bassist Kevin Garcia, drummer Aaron Burtch, guitarist Jim Fairchild, and keyboard-player Tim Dryden - have been really important for the Grandaddy-sound as well. Now it's gone.

Just Like The Fambly Cat, being their 4th album proper, is a neat finale. It's a very good album, I found out after spinning it quite some times. Not as good as my favorite The Sophtware Slump, but better than Sumday. Jason's still a gifted song-writer, a natural it seems, and as always he comes up with a perfect 'starter'/single choise, this time with "Jeez Louise". When hearing "Summer ...It's Gone" you'll swear you've heard this one before, like it's been nicked from some other Grandaddy album. The same goes for many of the songs, but Jason's quite good at recycling, making them sound quite new and fresh. Like "Rear View Mirror", "Skateboarding Saves Me Twice", "Elevate Myself", "Campershell Dreams", "Disconnecty", and the closing beauty "This Is How It Always Starts".

There's even a stronger feeling of sadness this time. Not surprising, as this is the family cat at it's death-bed. The "solar-powered space pop combo" (according to allmusic.com) will be no more, but hopefully Jason Lytle will return with another songbook. Hey, isn't there something about cats and nine lives...

R.I.P., Grandaddy.

Copyright © 2006 Håvard Oppøyen