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REVIEW: GRAMMA LP "DIME" | iodine rae
⇦back The word album may evoke visions of a 40+ minute runtime, but in the case of “Dime”, Minneapolis DIY trio Gramma's latest release, it should conjure up something a bit more bite-sized. The record comes in at just shy of 20 minutes, making it a fast-paced, blink and you’ll miss it listening experience. Across the board, the album employs heavy vocal distortion and a playful tone that’s balanced by a sense of discontent and general attitude that’s often characteristic of midwest emo, a genre in which the band tows the line at times, but generally distances itself from. 
The lilting, almost childishness of Icebox’s rhythm is a real stand out on the record, with the track being effortlessly earwormish and underscored by the kind of talk-singing where they’re rattling the words off at you, and the whispering lines… Ahh, I love that stuff. Schpeeny does a similar thing, as well, and it hooks you for the short, but sweet duration of a little over a minute. It’s hard to resist nodding along to the beat, which is, I think, Gramma’s greatest attribute on this record—it’s got swagger.
Fashion Club is my current favorite. It highlights all of my favorite aspects of the band’s sound: strong drum presence; aggressive, borderline whiny vocals reminiscent of 90’s grunge; and that god damn groovy back and forth between the bass and guitar, unifying for a majority of the track but coming apart at what I’d consider the rising action, and giving it this cool syncopated moment. And then the whirly sounds that follow it sit on either side of the stereo sound field and the singular high-pitched note that pushes through it, it all works to keep your attention. The layering of the tracks increases the replayability, because you can pick through it each time and find new things to focus on. Verbatim also scratches this itch. Maybe that’s my favorite… There’s a definite through line in terms of the sound of the record, staying fairly consistent from start to finish, which in this case works in its favor, what with it being so short already. The commitment to their sound is what makes it run so smoothly, and it encourages you to listen to the whole thing at once. One track won’t be enough to satisfy your Gramma craving. Doctors recommend at least twenty minutes of Gramma a day—Dime is your perfect daily dose. Give it a listen if you’re into midwest-informed, grungey punk with personality & a unique sonic identity.
(Published 11-19-25) |
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