Grubs are a three-piece with a bit of a DIY pedigree. They feature Roxy Brennan (ex-Trust Fund, Two White Cranes and Joanna Gruesome), Owen Williams (Joanna Gruesome) and Jake May. Their debut record ‘It Must Be Grubs’ sees the light of day on joint release on Tuff Enuff and Reeks Of Effort. More good pedigree – both these labels are doing really good things and tapping into a very vibrant DIY scene in the UK.
The record is a swift and brief. But don’t let the brevity count against it. Sometimes knowing when enough is enough is a tricky thing to get right and with 9 of the 11 songs coming in under two minutes it’s something Grubs do with aplomb. This is a blink and you miss it exercise in delivering exquisite pop songs – each song is a potential ear worm.
Early online song ‘Dec 15th’ is present and it’s still one of the catchiest things I’ve heard in many moons. The layered off-kilter vocals lift the song higher than should be feasible. Elsewhere Roxy takes lead singing duties. Her voice is always emotive and the off-kilter back up singing from Owen somehow works. I feel like it shouldn’t but his deadpan delivery is the perfect fit. Grubs dish out short bursts of full throttle DIY pop and you could do a lot worse than investing some time and cash in this record.
Throw the Dog a Bone 