Groom return with their fourth studio album Bread and Jam. A joyous escapade into the band’s indie-pop sound.
The manic rock ‘n’ roll influenced intro and overall swagger of ‘Ronan Agus Aine, Ca Bhfuil Tu?’ starts the album off with a palpable burst of energy. Imbued with a vibrant urgency, the track works to set the jolting rhythmic feel of Bread and Jam.
Central to the gloriously ragged sound of the album is a musicality and lyrical intricacy that allows Groom to give the recordings a harder edge sonically. Shaking and rattling out of the speakers, songs such as ‘Charlie O’Loughlin Fuk Dat Shit’ and ‘Colours’ highlight this approach as the pounding indie-pop music underscores the fast paced vocal delivery.
As Bread and Jam continues to develop, so do the quickly interwoven elements of Groom’s sound. Furthering the evolving nature of the album ‘The Old Songs’ gives a brief respite before continuing with more driven sound of the rest of the record. An important moment in the L.P. as this slight fall in tempo alludes to the more reflective tone that appears in the closing tracks ‘Don’t Listen to the Voices’ and ‘1995’.
Indeed this pivotal point in Bread and Jam is imperative to its success. After the real blast of intent that introduces the album Groom run the risk of this urgency beginning to engulf the record itself. Resulting in songs becoming lost in the blur of the frantically paced opening half of the record.
Bustling with several head turning tracks Bread and Jam contains an undeniable indie swagger that makes it impossible to ignore. Setting themselves apart, Groom play with tempo, dynamics and lyrical precision to deliver a simply infectious album. A future must have in any indie-pop aficionados collection.
Rating: 8/10
Bread and Jam is out on August 9th via Popical Island.
The Last Mixed Tape 
6 responses to “Groom – Bread and Jam”
[…] The L.P. which is a joyous melting pot of jolting indie-pop and rock elements is stellar return from four-piece. Containing such key-tracks as ‘I’ve Never Been In A Real Fight’, ‘Charlie O’Loughlin Fuk Dat Shit’ and ‘The Old Songs’, Bread and Jam is a record brimming with stylistic flourishes of brilliance. Read the Last Mixed Tape’s full review here. […]
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[…] with Ginnels and Switzerland supporting. You can read T.L.M.T’s review of the album here. Doors: 8pm Tickets: €8 via whelanslive.com Location: Click […]
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[…] Support on the night comes from alternative-pop act Cave Ghosts, blues-rock influenced four-piece the Pacifics and indie-pop group Groom who recently released their brilliant new album Bread and Jam (read The Last Mixed Tape’s review here). […]
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[…] works as the perfect encapsulation of the overall sound of its parent album Bread and Jam (click here to read the Last Mixed Tape’s […]
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[…] Taken from Groom’s brilliant new album Bread and Jam, ‘Don’t Listen to the Voices’ is encapsulation of the style and sound of a record that is brimming with indie-gems. Read the Last Mixed Tape’s full album review here. […]
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[…] 13. Groom – Bread and Jam Indie-pop band Groom delivered a hook filled L.P. with Bread and Jam including the brilliant ‘Colours’. Read TLMT’s full review here. […]
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