CREAM & BLACK SPLATTER VARIANT
 
Coming into being in the mid-tens, the Austin based trio are cementing their place in the scene with a form of methodological shoegaze that borrows heavily from granite doom and fatally despondent downtempo pop. Admittedly, this process has been one as gradual as their low and oh-so slow take on the genre, yet it’s one that’s sure to quicken with their second LP, Omit. Across the seven tracks that form it, the trio channel these disparate elements through their two-toned filter in a manner that’s unhurried, but by no means easygoing.
Opening track ‘Trammel’ immediately establishes the overall sound and aesthetic of both the record and Grivo as a collective. Following on from an initial crush of doom that serves as a foundation, the band conjure a monochromatic, borderline miasmic haze. The airy, almost lethargic vocals of Timothy Heck only adds to the sonic gloom, and while the track does ebb and flow between concrete density and lulling minimalism, the haze never fully diffuses. It’s terminally despondent and sombre, and as the record slips into its second and third acts in the form of the title track and the aptly titled ‘Fatigue’, the atmosphere only thickens. These tracks do see variation, and though subtle, it’s wholly welcomed. Here, Grivo cautiously change lanes into roads bound for more art-rock and dream-pop destinations, with the monolithic slabs of glittering obsidian of ‘Fatigue’ heavily reminiscent of the work of acts such as Nothing and Hum.