Baby Grendel’s “Hatching” sounds like one of those better late 90s punk bands from the Pacific Northwest that discovered that punk was an attitude and not a genre. And then took that sense of creative liberation and applied it to the kind of sound that combines wry self-awareness akin to Superchunk with the dark and incisive humor of the likes of Alice Donut. The fractured guitar solo in the middle of the song is a refreshing bit of chops in a realm of music that often eschews such things but fits what seems to be the cracked perspective of the song with lyrics like “I’m psycho, knew it all along though, so shallow, deeper than a year ago.” And then talk of hatching a plan of losing one’s brain and asking “Am I going down like this?” These musings aside the song seems like an oblique exploration of personal integrity and the precarious balance of trying to do something creative in a world that almost requires mental illness to be involved. More than one person that has become involved in music has made similar observations but Baby Grendel gives it an unabashed expression in embracing the madness. Listen to “Hatching” on Spotify and follow the band at the links below. It’s new EP Hatch(l)ing dropped February 10, 2025 on streaming and digital download.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
You must be logged in to post a comment.