The Shouting Matches - Grownass Man [2013][EAC,log,cue. FLAC]

01. Avery Hill (2:24)
02. Gallup, NM (5:34)
03. Heaven Knows (3:35)
04. Mother, When? (2:27)
05. Seven Sisters (2:40)
06. Milkman (3:20)
07. New Theme (4:17)
08. Three Dollar Bill (3:27)
09. I'll Be True (2:43)
10. I Need A Change (5:06)

Justin Vernon’s comments in late 2012 that Bon Iver, his unlikely indie-folk popular triumph, would be “winding it down" following the massive success of their first two albums undoubtedly hit fans of the group’s haunting melodies pretty hard. The announcement of Vernon’s return is sure to sing a sweet falsetto to the ears of many. However, Grownass Man is hardly what Bon Iver’s introspective following might have expected. This fresh, blues-rock album by the trio who initially formed briefly for an unreleased EP in 2008, confidently soars clear of any pigeonhole into which they might otherwise be stuffed.


Vernon, joined by Phil Cook (Megafaun) and Brian Moen (Peter Wolf Crier) present an album which mocks any notion of a musical comfort zone and stretches the limits of breadth that one record can handle. From the distorted grungy tones of ‘Heaven Knows’, to the spunky country beat of ‘Mother, When?’, Vernon’s intention is clear - to take a break from the earnestness of Bon Iver towards something a little more light hearted and a little more anonymous. Where Bon Iver was intense and brooding, The Shouting Matches relies on ad-hoc synth riffs and cranks up the distortion for a genuine band-practise-in-the garage style.


Incorporating the rock styles of The Rolling Stones or The Who in opening track ‘Avery Hill’ or with the slightly unpolished blues jam of ‘Three Dollar Bill’, The Shouting Matches really do scream, or rather soulfully wail, of a bunch of guys who between them enjoy a far-reaching and diverse appetite for music, whilst having a jolly good time indulging it. In an album which, thanks to minimal promotion, bears as few expectations as possible for a double Grammy award winning artist, Vernon and the band are free to explore the wilds of their musical tastebuds to their hearts and ears contents.

Perhaps the most astonishing breakaway comes from ‘New Theme’, a track which couldn’t be any newer for Vernon if it was wrapped in cellophane and topped with a shiny red bow. The carefree lindy-hop antidote to a career dedicated to making melancholy beautiful, it kicks and flicks its way to a sunnier, if rather less eloquent and rather more gospel, side to Vernon’s extensive songwriting palate. The closing track eases the uncharacteristically boogying folk fan back into a more pensive and familiar place. Yet, inkeeping with the other nine, it does so in a wholly unfamiliar manner. The soft swoon of ‘I Need a Change’ is slow-mo soul and it charms with the customary smoothness of yesteryear blues.

Bon Iver this most certainly is not. Neither is it the kind of groundbreaking stuff that made Justin Vernon such a big hit. But a whimsical scrapbook to a long list of musical loves and an exciting venture which mingles the new with the really rather retro, this might just be.