Setting the tone with moving lyricism, “One day, we’ll have one more for the road, I hope like hell this finds you well, I miss you more than you know”, before the song explodes into the signature soundscape of The Grinning Barretts, we are already obsessed with the outfit’s latest EP, Hope Like Hell.
Fusing Celtic sounds with edgy punk rock, The Grinning Barretts have a unique sound unlike any other band in the world. They’re from Vancouver Island and have designed a vibe that is “bagpipe strangling, vocal chord mangling, gormandizer uplifting”. Their intention is to bring out our “inner rabblerouser”. We are here for it!
Hope Like Hell features great lyrics including the the emotive “Someday we’ll close the door on this, make up for all the times we’ve missed”, and the relatable reference to the pandemic “the last 2 years have hit like 10”.
Speaking on the title track, the band says “Hope Like Hell serves as a well-wish to good friends through trying times as well as a searing takedown of the intersection between anti-Semitism & anti-Science rhetoric currently honking its horn at maximum volume.”
Next up is Star of the County Down which is a song about an enigmatic girl. It is actually a cover of a famous Irish song that The Grinning Barretts have given their own energy too.
The third song on the EP is 10 Teraohm which is the shortest track on the record and features vibrant bagpipe as the band sings further about cerebral matters, questioning reality as we know it.
The Foggy Dew is the final track and opens with a calm and peaceful vibe with the sound of water, a piano and light Celtic instrumentation before exploding into the iconic soundscape of The Grinning Barretts.
The band is made up of Pat Westmacott on lead guitar, vocals and production, Aaron Bergen on pipes, flutes and vocals, Alli Bean on keys and vocals, Dave Greig on frets and vocals, Nate Stafford on bass and vocals, and drummer Jeremy Fiddy.
The combination lends itself to a dynamic and immersive energy, with poignant lyricism that speaks volumes on society and the human condition. Fans of The Interrupters will definitely be able to connect with The Grinning Barretts.
We have added Hope Like Hell to our New Music Spotlight playlist and have been exploring the wider discography of the band including UFS and Wild Mountain Thyme.