Stream: GRMLN, ‘Jaded’

Kevin Bronson on July 21st, 2014

0

Yoodoo Park has graduated from mischief to mayhem, at least sonically. The singer-guitarist, working under the name GRMLN, emerged in 2012 with an EP of retro-pop that, compared to his forthcoming sophomore album “Soon Away” (due Sept. 16 on Carpark Records), sounds like a batch of demos. In between was last year’s full-length “Empire,” an eruption of edgy power-pop as if Park were channeling the guitar-pop forefathers of the late 1970s and ’80s. GRMLN’s sound has made it to the pop-punk ’90s now – at least, the guitars are bigger and more aggro – although the Japan-born, southern California-bred songwriter professes to have been inspired by the teaching of Krishna in making this album. “Jaded” speaks to that in a roundabout way, in its own angst-y way; we’ll interpret the chorus to be instructive, anyway. And probably be tempted to shout along with it.

||| Stream: “Jaded”