Grouplove’s sound is totally uplifting – we mean it – truthfully. Some music fans might be quick to label them as “hippies” and dismiss them but that would be unfair, because Grouplove completely and utterly rock the iconic Fibbers York venue to its rafters tonight, and they do it with a sound that falls halfway between Britpop and good ol’ American alt-rock music, one big beard, a bunch of baggy tops and an abundance of long hair. This is Grouplove, they are a family of globe-trotting friends, multi-instrumentalists (with glowsticks for drumsticks…), and this is their life (and ours…) through music, documented at its absolute best.
Come show time, by bouncing around and always smiling in front of a backdrop mirroring their début full-length album ‘Never Trust A Happy Song’, this five-piece affect everyone here with established tracks including the anthemic and powerful ‘Lovely Cup’ alongside the charming ‘Betty’s A Bombshell’ to start off with.
What’s nice about this band is that they, like Foals or The Naked And Famous, have something within their sounds for everyone which we all know is becoming increasingly more rare nowadays – they run through the electronica, rock, indie and blues genres during this diverse set; the chilled out ‘Gold Coast’ is a great example as it showcases this range almost perfectly.
A lot of Grouplove’s material chronicles life experiences and aside from the globally successful ‘Colours’ with its catchy hooks, and the pre-Summer anthem that is ‘Tongue-Tied’, a highlight tonight is ‘Itchin’ On A Photograph’ which builds up to an addictive and touching chorus (and a crowd-inclusive-clap-fest). Indeed, that’s what’s so great, every song really is fuelled by fan interaction and the general positive mood that this act seems to generate at all times. Really, It’s extremely hard to not feel inspired and err… really happy when you are at a Grouplove gig. Top marks.
&ob=av2e
