Grampall Jookabox - Ropechain

by Maarten Schiethart

published: 10 / 11 / 2008

Label: Asthmatic Kitty Records
Format: CD

Schizoid combination of hiphop æsthetics and country blues on appealing second album from Grampall Jookabox, the project of Indianapolis native and musician David Adamson

Review

'Ropechain' is Grampall Jookabox's second album ,but his first for Sufjan Stevens's label Asthmatic Kitty. Grampall is one hell of a customer. 'Repochain' treads on Fat Possum territory with its blasts and blend of hiphop æsthetics and country blues. It is a little schizoid perhaps, but this touch and go approach to styles of music works neatly on 'Ropechain'. One moment you hear this lonesome psycho and the next a struggling hobo; but the biggest asset of 'Ropechain' is the pure and simple pop quality stamped all over its tracks. A smooth performance of slightly disturbing music will always catch anyone's attention and thus this might become a hit album. This freaky touch leads to some disorientating effects, as with tribal percussion which is then combined with fake voodoo chanting on 'Strike Me Down'. 'Ropechain' then ends with soothing haunts of, it must be mentioned, little danger. The album is a round trip, verging on pyschosis, yet providing good entertainment to be had by all!

Track Listing:-

1 Black Girls
2 Let's Go Mad Together
3 Ghost
4 Old Earth, Wash My Beat
5 The Girl Ain't Preggers
6 You Will Love My Boom
7 I Will Save Young Michael
8 The One Thing
9 We Know We Might Be Fucked
10 Strike Me Down
11 I'm Absolutely Freaked Out