On Saturday night, Brooklyn natives GROOMS stopped in at Death By Audio to play a release show for their latest record, Prom. The show (as is often the case), started far later than scheduled. That didn't dissuade the fans, however, and when the band came on around midnight, the room was well populated by an excited and enthusiastic crowd.
For the show (we're not sure about the long term), the band had acquired a fourth member to assist with keyboard and guitar parts, but for the most part, the core three-piece contingent reigned supreme, and stayed true to the band's on-record sound. The band were technically on-point, and the drums in particular offered up an even more dynamic element than they do on tape.
Playing only one track from their first record, Rejoicer, the band then delved into an all out exploration of Prom before closing the show with a new track. The new material was solid, and the new track was possibly our favorite of the night. While the band was in top form in terms of technique, the sound system was (sadly) not quite up to the challenge. It's no secret that GROOMS can offer up some challenging levels of discord in their work, and unfortunately, the muddiness of the sound made some of that which is artfully intentional end up sounding off key, or just plain wrong.
Nonetheless, our enthusiasm for GROOMS was not abated. The band is technically adept and instrumentally bulletproof. Moreover, they are creating challenging music that is full of difficult twists and turns that even the most well versed ear needs some time to sort out. Rome wasn't built in a day, and likewise, GROOMS are laying the sonic foundation for what we believe is some of the most exciting musical exploration going on out there today.
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