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Grandpaboy
Grandpaboy (Soundproof Records/Monolyth Entertainment)
By: Alex Steininger
Just who is Grandpaboy? This one man band is none other than the former Replacements' front man, Paul Westerberg. Due to contract restrictions he was unable to use his name, so Grandpaboy was born. There is however a warning on the disc, "Grandpaboy was born somewhere. He plays guitar. Do not try to be his friend, he will not like you." A song or two could have been placed on a previous 'Mats album or on Paul's solo albums, but the majority of the songs are neither his solo work or his work in the Replacements. This disc would best be described as being nestled in the middle of the two. The disc goes back to the down home feeling of rock n' roll."Hot Un" sounds as if it could have been placed on Paul's last solo album, Eventually. It's very bouncy, and gets your feet tapping in no time. The horn adds a softer touch to the music, while Grandpaboy's vocals add a rougher, down home feeling to the music. "Ain't Done Much" might have been placed on one of the Replacements final albums, but that would be a stretch. This is the kind of song you would hear in the background of a movie while Ma and Pa sit out on the porch reminiscing about their good ol' days. Once again, it's a very bouncy track that grabs your attention and never lets it go. Your feet keep tapping to the music, and a smile appears on your face. After a few listens you start singing along, and that brings more enjoyment to the song. It's a very catchy number that will sing throughout your body for weeks. "Psychopharmacology" is a down home, countrish rock number. The guitar is almost twangy at points, giving it a very happy beat that will take you to a barbecue with all your friends and a cold glass of lemonade in your head. "Lush and Green" is a slow, acoustic and vocals track. It will make you sit back and think while he sings. His voice carries the song, while his guitar acts as a messenger to help carry the message even farther. "Homelesssexual" is another song that shows a big country influence, even more than "Pshychopharmacology." It's country ring is felt throughout the song, while Grandpaboy's vocals are softer in the mix and distorted a bit. It still keeps a rock edge though. Good thing this song is at the end, you can skip it and listen to the first four. 03 Although only an EP, this CD will please many Replacements and Paul Westerberg fans. As an album standing on its own though, its got some good moments and some bad moments, but needs Paul to back it up to take it anywhere. If this were just another unknown indie artist the CD would probably fall flat on it's face, but with Paul's musical ability's behind it and his years of experience, he makes something out of it. I'll give it a C+.
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