GRiZ

Songs like "Getting Live" — which opens this album and drips with funky guitars and gritty bass lines before reaching a crescendo of futuristic sounds and robust beats — notwithstanding, it's clear that GRiZ (aka Grant Kwiecinski) is much more interested in letting Rebel Era tell a story with emotion...

By Britt Chester

November 7, 2013

Audio By Carbonatix

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Songs like "Getting Live" — which opens this album and drips with funky guitars and gritty bass lines before reaching a crescendo of futuristic sounds and robust beats — notwithstanding, it's clear that GRiZ (aka Grant Kwiecinski) is much more interested in letting Rebel Era tell a story with emotion and soul than he is consumed with drops and bass. "Too Young for Tragedy Part II," a followup from the opener on his previous album, and "DTW to DIA (The Travels of Mr. B)" are two tracks that show monumental growth in both song structure and audio production, and "How It Ends" rounds out the collection nicely with help from Dominic Lalli of Big Gigantic. All in all, Rebel Era is a clean effort that proves GRiZ is exploring his sounds under a microscope and tweaking each instrument to satisfy his thirst for the perfect blend. This is organic funk wearing a mask of modern technology.

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Britt Chester is a writer and video producer living in Denver, Colorado. He's covered breaking news, music, arts and cannabis for Westword since 2010. His work has appeared in GQ Magazine, Village Voice, YES! Weekly, Inman News and the Winston-Salem Journal. He likes running, cycling, and interviewing people.

Contact: Britt Chester

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Instagram: @theawfullybrittish