Album Review: Grasscut - Unearth

Whilst enjoyable to listen to, British duo Grasscut fail to really achieve anything beyond a feeling of pleasantness on their second album, Unearth. Songs like Reservoir standout on the nicely composed Unearth. The song consists of rich layers of melody effortlessly constructed, and a build-up so greatly controlled that you feel like you're drowning in sound before even realising that you willingly paddled out to sea.

The stripped-down Richardson Road, featuring a cameo by Soft Machine's Robert Wyatt, hints at the extent of the duo's hidden talent and is a fitting final track to wind down the album. It is a refreshing song to have on Unearth as it demonstrates that Grasscut aren't afraid to strip back to simple, clean compositions that allow their songwriting abilities to shine through.

A Mysterious Disappearance is one of the few songs on the album that are quite perceptibly jarring. A clunky build-up of sounds that are at a disconnect with the rest of the album, it feels like a last-minute attempt by Grasscut to jazz up Unearth and give it a little life.

One highlight is We Fold Ourselves, a song featuring a compelling old recording of legendary singer Kathleen Ferrier that has been gracefully woven into an array of synths and weighty bass. If Grasscut had used this track as a benchmark for the rest of Unearth, there is no doubt that the album would have been a far more gripping release.

With all of its wistfulness, Unearth just fails to push past being a pleasing album to listen to. On face value it is a beautiful album, but on further investigation, it teeters towards the duller end of the spectrum when it could have been incredible.