Grandaddy- Sumday V2 2003

Written by Jen Rajkowski
Published June 26, 2003

Pitchfork

"Pastoral, sanguine, and oddly buoyant, the album is far less sinister (and certainly less adventurous) than Grandaddy's former studio experiments, but still comes complete with its own curious set of demands: the first six songs are strikingly (and, presumably, deliberately) similar in timing, tone and strum. Luckily, the band avoids the sameness that often comes with such a consecutive string of spacious midtempo pop songs; instead, the effect is a dreamily cohesive half-hour of music, the perfect extended metaphor, a big warm blanket to curl up in and chew on."

The Guardian

"Here, honey-throated, simple-hearted frontman Jason Lytle is still grappling with the uneasy relationship between science and nature - in I'm on Standby, he plays a sad computer, full of human frailties in an inhuman environment - but now he is deconstructing the deadening depression of success."

Indie London

"Kicking off with the brilliant first single, Now It's On, which captures the brighter outlook of the band in lyrics such as 'I got not reason to be weathered and withery, like in the season of the old me', the album then proceeds to deliver a laidback journey through some of the best space-rock since last year's equally sumblime Flaming Lips album."

BBC


"Sumday takes up the brilliance of the band's last album, The Sophtware Slump, and runs headlong down a sun-beaten coast with it, picking up gentle melodies and angelic harmonies along the way."

Play Louder


Heresay

"There's just something about the songs: they're a little rough around the edges, but really sweet at their core. I think you've mastered that technique. But on your new album, Sumday, it seems like you're treading water."

Drowned in Sound

"Y'see, "Sumday" is all about 'busting the lock off the front door' (new single "Now It's On"), cracking open the shell of solitude and going trekking in the sun. At its best, it's like walking on a beach eating an everlasting packet of cold Skittles, but mostly the record meanders around the same beats, same chord patterns and without a lot of the touching nuances which we grew to love them for. The lazy, hazy acoustics of "I'm On Standby" just underwhelm. The band have moved on to a slightly more guitar based sound, but forgotten to take the killer tunes."

Rolling Stone


"...while the melodies have grown catchier and the arrangements more focused, Lytle has leapt into the lyrical big leagues with unassuming songs about entropy and epiphany."

Universal Buzz


"All that I'm asking tonight is that I make it back home alive. No explosions, no crashes, no fights. I want to get back home," Grandaddy frontman Jason Lyte exhales weerily towards the close of Sumday. Amidst Orange Alerts and Operation Iraqi Freedom, it's a wonder that anyone feels in control of their lives anymore. Modesto, California's Grandaddy sees this and has scaled back its ambitious designs with its third release, bringing the focus back down to reality as the world rises up in turmoil around it."

Glorious Noise


"Sumday, the band's fourth studio release, finds Grandaddy traversing their back catalogue. No one familiar with the band's material will be shocked by the sound on Sumday--quirky pop that is distinct, endearing, and fun, using modern synths and samples to accentuate songs rooted in vintage rock."

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Grandaddy- Sumday V2 2003
Published: June 26, 2003
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Writer: Jen Rajkowski
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#1 — June 30, 2003 @ 15:01PM — BRICKLAYER

The Pundits at BRICKLAYER say:
Effing Wonderful! Especially when taken back to back with the New Pornoraphers latest!

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