Grandaddy
Sumday
(V2)

"The Sophtware Slump" was one of 2000's great records, a jab in the ribs to the CEOs populating Silicon Valley as they began to see their financial windfalls evaporate. 3 years later, with the economy on life support, I was eager to see what their next statement would be -- especially since they took such a long time to make it.

"Sumday" is their hotly anticipated follow-up. And if you consider "The Sophtware Slump" to be their first real record to gain any real acclaim and attention, "Sumday" seems to indicate to me that Grandaddy are going through somewhat of a "sophomore slump" themselves.

Don't get me wrong, "Sumday" if chock-full of catchy, hummable riffs and sugary melodies. Unfortunately, the record starts like this right out of the gate and remains at "mind-tempo static pop mode" for the duration of the record. As a result it plays like a Weezer record - a collection of solid pop songs that are utterly predictable. You could put the needle anywhere on this record and it would sound the same. I found "Sophtware Slump" to be a little more engaging because of the ups and downs of the record-- it almost mimicked the Silicon Valley in that sense. This variation is clearly lacking on "Sumday".

I always felt that Jason Lytle had the same pop affliction that's possessed by Doug Martsch. His talent that makes him capable of constructing catchy tunes but has him succumb easily to the pattern of writing the same song over and over again because he can so effortlessly. If you are in love enough with a band's music and sound enough, this sin is easily forgivable. But for casual fans that can move on easily, it is inexcusable.

So if you are looking for a sunny pop record that you can take to the beach without intentions of scrutinizing its merits, "Sumday" is perfect. If you are looking for something a bit more complex, look elsewhere.

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