Grey Hairs - Colossal Downer
by Mark Rowland
published: 4 / 5 / 2015

Label:
Gringo Records
Format: CD
intro
Impressive early Grunge-influenced debut album from Nottingham-based band, Grey Hairs
Grey Hairs sound like a Sub Pop band, or at least what a Sub Pop band used to sound like. Deformed garage rock, the Birthday Party-style gothic post-punk, the sludgier end of metal – the first few bands to be labeled grunge made music that was big, pitch black and ugly, and not as dumb as it looked or sounded. It was a scene that didn’t take itself too seriously, and did its own thing without concerning itself with the conventions of the wider US underground scene. The songs on ‘Colossal Downer’ are so Seattle it hurts (they have a song called ‘Badmotorfingered’), but in a way that avoids sounding too much like anyone specific. You could compare Grey Hairs to Melvins, Tad, ‘Bleach’-era Nirvana and the U-Men and people would be hard pressed to argue against it, but they are similar to those artists in the same way that those artists are similar to each other. It’s clearly music that Grey Hairs love – the band sounds like it’s having a great time playing ‘Colossal Downer’. And for those who remember grunge before it hit the big time (or discovered that music later on), it’s great fun as well. --------
Track Listing:-
1 Ship2 Emergency Banger
3 Jesco
4 Creepy
5 Anxiety Dream
6 Martha
7 The Hedgehider
8 Dave's Van
9 White As Whispers
10 Badmotorfingered
11 The Handpisser
12 Fatberg
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/colossaldownerhttps://twitter.com/greyhairsband
Label Links:-
https://twitter.com/gringorecshttp://www.gringorecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/gringorecs
digital downloads
most viewed articles
current edition
Beth Arzy - InterviewSimon Love - Interview
Rob Pursey - Interview
Stranglers - Rock City, Nottingham, 23/3/2022
Roy Moller - Interview
Tommy Gunnarsson - A Life in Music
St Christopher - Interview
Rupert Wates - Interview
New Leaf - The Year of the Ox
Heist/Idiot Son - (With The Volunteered and Simon Bromide), The Water Rats, London, 10/9/2022
most viewed reviews
current edition
Dave Stewart - Ebony McQueenJosie Bello - Resilience
Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention
Various - Heroes & Villains – The Sound Of Los Angeles 1965-1968,
Sam Brace - Fever and Bones
Gabi Garbutt and the Illuminations - Cockerel
Simon Love - Love, Sex and Death Etc
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me: 20th Anniversary Edition
Girls At Our Best! - Pleasure
Soft Cell - Happiness Not Included
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Adrian P
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Carl Bookstein
Chris O'Toole
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dixie Ernill
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank