The duo of Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth make up the eccentrically-named Let’s Eat Grandma, who are now set to deliver their third full-length. They debuted with the art pop I, Gemini in 2016, which has a wide range of experimental elements that create an ethereal fairy-tale world. With 2018’s I’m All Ears, the duo developed their sound to a synthpop style which could be seen as akin to some of the heavier cuts on a CHVRCHES album. With long run times of tracks reaching seven and nine minutes, I’m All Ears could be an obtuse listen, but tracks such as “Hot Pink” have a dense and rich sound. Now, with Two Ribbons, the duo have further refined and developed their sound in what is their strongest album to date.
The beautiful synthwork that has become a staple of Let’s Eat Grandma’s discography makes an expected return. Opener “Hall of Mirror” is laced with a racing beat while the synths dance around the track, followed by “Happy New Year” which has all the hallmarks of a house tune but is reined in to fit within LEG’s sound. Later on tracks “Levitation” and closer “Watching You Go” also further display the skill present with this sound and its astute development. A criticism of Two Ribbons‘ predecessor is that many of the tracks were excellent in isolation but didn’t quite intertwine together in the wider context of the record. Despite each mentioned track here having their own distinctions, whether it’s the bouncy beats in “Levitation” dazzled with some lovely key work and vocal performance, it all fits into the wider atmosphere and sound of the album, with the aforementioned closer offering a toe-tapping beat, beautiful vocal hooks, and guitar riffs to see the record off.
They don’t lose their wide array of sound on this record either. Mid-point track “Insect Loop” is a gorgeous guitar ballad. The introspective track leans into the indie rock sound and wouldn’t feel entirely out of place on something like a Wolf Alice record. The plucked chords blended in with grandiose guitar hook make for a captivating listen. Tracks “Strange Conversation” and “Two Ribbons” show off the ever-present folk side of the duo, embracing the sound explored on previous tracks such as “Ava” but greatly expanding the quality. “Two Ribbons“, despite being one of the quieter tracks, shows off one of the album’s finest qualities: there’s a warmth and heart throughout the record. With each listen the layers of emotion are discovered, and these tracks begin to grow and expand.
With Two Ribbons the duo have fulfilled the potential that was evident in their two previous releases, I, Gemini and I’m All Ears. Whilst not as outlandish and obtuse as these records, refining their sound down has worked wonders and makes a full listen of the record far more fulfilling. To move between sounds offered up in ballad “Insect Loop” and huge synthpop tune “Happy New Year” with such effortlessness is deeply commendable. Hopefully now with Two Ribbons, Let’s Eat Grandma can truly hit their stride and become one of the standout artists in the UK.
9/10
Two Ribbons is out April 8th via Transgressive and can be pre-ordered here.