The Sophtware Slump is the aptly titled second release from this Modesto, California-based band -- a magical album that creates amazing textures of sound via reverb-drenched guitars, keyboards, tape loops, studio effects, and other electronic goodies, a surreal look at our (post?)modern world and its need for technology, with lyrics about robots, air-conditioned TV lands, microwaves, toasters, and other household appliances all sung by a Coyne-esque Jason Lytle. Grandaddy's sound since their freshman effort Under the Western Freeway has grown and matured somewhat. This album features less concentration on guitar dynamics and more emphasis on soundscapes. Grandaddy still stomp on their distortion pedals, which sometimes works, but at times disrupts the flow and mood of the album. But what's amazing is that if you take out all the electronic pops and squeaks and just leave Lytle with an acoustic guitar, you will be left with an album that's just as touching and inspiring.
1. He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot
2. Hewlett's Daughter
3. Jed the Humanoid
4. The Crystal Lake
5. Chartsengrafs
6. Underneath the Weeping Willow
7. Broken Household Appliance National Forest
8. Jed's Other Poem (Beautiful Ground)
9. E. Knievel Interlude (The Perils of..
10. Miner at the Dial-A-View
11. So You'll Aim Toward the Sky
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