“Forced Fun” is full of heavy, high adrenaline riffs delivered with real conviction and infectious hooks, it’s raw, unkempt but shot through with a groovy seam that gives it an unusually melodious feel. Its music to dance to, albeit somewhere dingy.
They don’t really sound like any other Manchester band but there’s something peculiarly Mancunian about Bad Grammar (they do hail from Manchester); perhaps it’s the lyrical swagger which is reminiscent of Mark E. Smith at his pomp, and a particular groove which lies at the heart of their music. The songs avoid hackneyed formulas and comprise a disparate collection of tempos, styles and rhythms which somehow work together.
“Stay Toned” kicks off the EP and immediately launches into a riff-heavy beat which is sustained throughout in various forms without ever becoming jaded. “Miley Serious” weaves around a chunky riff, shifting between light and heavy, sparse and voluminous; its immediately engaging and one for the beer-sodden dance floor. “Weekend Dad” picks up from where “Miley Serious” ended without sounding “samey”; it’s manic, frenzied and lyrically rich. There’s something wickedly salacious about closing song “Temper Temper”; I don’t quite know why but it got a spark that speaks of sin. It is very like opening track “Stay Toned” in parts but it’s forgivable.
“Forced Fun” is an impressive debut; loud, raw but unashamedly sexy, its music to get drunk, dance and chance your arm to. Rumour has it they’re awesome live and I hope to catch them somewhere soon….
Aidan Hehir
They don’t really sound like any other Manchester band but there’s something peculiarly Mancunian about Bad Grammar (they do hail from Manchester); perhaps it’s the lyrical swagger which is reminiscent of Mark E. Smith at his pomp, and a particular groove which lies at the heart of their music. The songs avoid hackneyed formulas and comprise a disparate collection of tempos, styles and rhythms which somehow work together.
“Stay Toned” kicks off the EP and immediately launches into a riff-heavy beat which is sustained throughout in various forms without ever becoming jaded. “Miley Serious” weaves around a chunky riff, shifting between light and heavy, sparse and voluminous; its immediately engaging and one for the beer-sodden dance floor. “Weekend Dad” picks up from where “Miley Serious” ended without sounding “samey”; it’s manic, frenzied and lyrically rich. There’s something wickedly salacious about closing song “Temper Temper”; I don’t quite know why but it got a spark that speaks of sin. It is very like opening track “Stay Toned” in parts but it’s forgivable.
“Forced Fun” is an impressive debut; loud, raw but unashamedly sexy, its music to get drunk, dance and chance your arm to. Rumour has it they’re awesome live and I hope to catch them somewhere soon….
Aidan Hehir