The fact Philadelphia‘s Grocer have a number of vocalists and lyricists is some hint at the variety and invention of their sound. With Danielle Lovier and Nicholas Rahn of all boy/all girl joined by Emily Daly and Cody Nelson, each member brings their own tastes and ideals. These distinctive creative inputs might not be in competition exactly, but their presence within the band adds a certain tension to their output. A restlessness which always hovers near, threatening to head off in a new (and often chaotic) direction. But holding this together is an overarching chemistry. A trust between the four members which embraces this instability and weaves it into the Grocer personality.
This spring sees the release of Numbers Game, the second Grocer album that’s out via Grind Select. Initially conceived as an EP, the release came into being during a stay in rural Georgia in early 2021, and by the time the band had finished a tour in the summer of that year, the full record had taken shape. A collection of songs seeking interior spaces as a refuge from the exterior chaos, only to find such an escape impossible. The slow and unnerving discovery that we are not separate from the blights of the world, and indeed most probably bear some blame as to their prevalence due to the way in which we live. The perfect themes, that is, for the tumultuous and chaotic Grocer aesthetic.
Lead single ‘Pick A Way’ delves into the outlandish justification and rationale surrounding toxic masculinity, especially in light of events such as the Jan 6th insurrection. A tale of frustrated hopes and aborted futures. A voice looking to be heard among many others. “I don’t hear my name / so I shout it out,” go the lyrics. An attempt to persevere beyond the moment, to make yourself lasting within a system slowing falling down.
Done gazing in no longer lingering on
Why this entire planet must envision me wrong
Some rush, white and in the front
Poking just for fun
Pick away and run
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Check out the video by Nicholas Rahn below:
Numbers Game is out on the 6th May via Grind Select and you can pre-order it now from the Grocer Bandcamp page.
