Prom, the sophomore effort from Brooklyn's Grooms, may not be news to readers by now. If unaware, however, now is a much more proper time to discuss it than its summer release date, because its cold, dreary disposition propels itself toward scenery of overcast and bare trees. By contrast, 2009's Rejoicer (even considering the title) had a liveliness in its '90s alt-rock stride, and the band seasoned their stentorian anthems with linear compositions and expansive detours that prompted worthy, if small, discussion.
By way of roaring bass "Tiger Trees" opens explosively into a fluid arrangement of gentle arpeggios and steady, swift drums-- an altogether simple yet compelling ease into Prom's ethos. "Expression Of" manifests an infectiously somber guitar dirge coupled with swooning bass, listlessly sustained until an anxious finale of escalating keys climaxing into silence. Grooms grow uglier on "Into the Arms", culminating into a thunderously distorted homage to early Sonic Youth, followed by the bassist Emily Abruso-fronted "Sharing", a fleetingly brighter ditty that wouldn't sound out of place on a Vivian Girls album if not for her detailing of car crashes and a mysterious hooded figure.
Frontman Travis Johnson bears striking lyrical prowess on Prom, in which his phrasing is as essential as what he illustrates, best exemplified in the interchangeable portrayal of "red rope licorice in trails (entrails)." On the title track, he vividly recounts memories of teenage interest, "17 is the whole world / in my room, the Smiths and girls." At other times, Johnson is decidedly vague for mysticism's sake. "Aisha" voices what could be a tale of cheating in cryptic passages like "down the hall, parents wishing they were dead / because someone, somewhere, put a promise in your head" followed by a chorus that nervously asks "Does it feel alright?"
Grooms' follow-up is the fruit of refinement. The production has been thickened by deeper frequencies, choruses have been defined, and priorities have been set. It's more accessible in principle, but Prom's depth stretches further than its predecessor in melody, songwriting, and other fundamentals found in weighty albums. Its outreach to a more sizable audience amounts to a molehill amongst the marketable mountains in the greater scheme of independent music. The adjustments made are very fine, yet singularly pivotal.
[Grooms Bandcamp]
[Buy Prom from Kanine Records]
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