Stop! Grammar time!

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 17, 2008 6:40PM

Chicago has proven itself as a relatively fertile breeding ground for a number of orch-pop leaning combos. Grammar is one of the newer additions to the city's pop canon, but if their new EP and recent live shows are any indication they have the potential to grow into kings (and queen) of that particular scene.

Grammar began as a solo project of ex-Bumpus multi-instrumentalist Brent Pulse and grew into a whole band affair including ex-SND On SNDers (and current Chicagoista) Lizz Kannenberg and Jonathan Sarmiento along with journeyman musicians P. Griffin Baron, and Dan Moulder. The band's debut self-titled EP contains six songs of wistful and airy pop that flickers and twinkles, delighting the ears. The gentle and emotionally baring "Incredible But True" immediately charms as it opens the EP. The epic "K to B" starts off as a jaunty little piano number before melting into a choir of intertwining vocal melodies to close out the disc. "No Part of It" is a politely restrained rocker. In-between the two are politely restrained rockers, sparse and cutting acoustic odes, and pleas for inclusion folded into tiny synthetic symphonies and plinking xylophone runs.

Grammar is currently offering the whole of their EP as a free download, so give it a try and let us know whether you agree with us or not.

DOWNLOAD: Grammar - Grammmar

Grammar plays tonight at Martyr's, 3855 N Lincoln, 8 p.m., $7, 21+