Reviewed by:
Double Basser, on december 04, 2007
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: Unlike the previous studio album Sunrise over Sea Grand national has traded off some ruggedness to present a cleaner more processed ruggedness. Let me explain, Gov Did Nothin' is a 8 and a bit minute song (the longest on the album surprisingly with JBT songs frequently reaching over 10 minutes)which contains sound effects like helicopters to large amounts of over dubbing. However somehow it manages to capture the rugged energy of JBT's live performances at the same time which is no mean feat. The rest of the album is much like this. Butler has broadened his soloing style a little bit but not enough for you to mistake it for someone else's. His old style of soloing is particuarly evident in Gov Did Nothin and Used to Get High with songs like the hillbily Good Excuse, the ska/blues-ish Funky Tonight, the reggae Groovin Slowly and the urban Daniella showing a larger wide of influences then any other JBT recording. added instruments such as a hammond organ and a full string orchestra add a lot to the trios versatility. Caroline, Gov Did Nothin and Devil Running are the greates showcases of this. Lastly Shannon Birchall and Michael Barker are brilliant at worst and gods at best. They are the ones who have to adapt the most to the verying styles of music and they do it brilliantly. They have no trouble in changing from the reggae Groovin Slowly to the hard rock almost metal Devil Running back to the acoustic Nowhere Man. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Butler has always been known for his thought provoking lyrics and this album does not fail to deliver. Lines like "the grass is greener on the otherside but it is just as hard to mow" can have you thinking very deeply. This brings me to the word painting in this album. Caroline can almost have you in tears while even the most straight out protest song on the album, Gov did Nothin, can make you feel an anger just through the music alone. Butlers singing while not perfect has significantly improved since Sunrise Over Sea and Three. Diction is so much better so that even me as a relatively lyrically deaf person can hear most words quite easily. // 10
Impression: If Sunrise Over Sea was JBT's big break Grand National is there cementation into Australian music. This proves to mainstream music that you do not need a major lable to do well in the inustry. Jet had a similarily huge hit "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" at the same time as "Zebra" both bands released albums in 2007. Jet flunked while JBT had 3 huge hits off the album (Better Than, Funky Tonight and Good Excuse). Great album and if stolen or lost I'd buy it again. // 9
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