Government Grown
New Pieces Of Clay
review = B+

Government Grown doesn’t just have a -sound-, this quartet of Cali kind buds has a -buzz-. And no lack of energy. Put it all together and you’ve got a fired up brand of ska-delic vibe rock that grabs ya feet first and then steals your head. It’s a chemistry thing. Although only in their early twenties, these guys have been making music together since high school. For the past few years, GG earned its reputation as a hot club act by gigging up and down the California coast and working fans into a frenzy with their high octane, jammy dance grooves. The experience shows. -New Pieces Of Clay-, the band’s 3rd album, and easily its best, is a solid studio effort that elevates GG past the ‘good time bar band’ label. Now you can call ‘em ‘recording artists.’ From the opening track, -So Do I-, a bubbly rub-a-dub with a head boppin’ island beat, it’s obvious the studio hasn’t cramped GG’s style. Quite the opposite - the music not only -sounds- good, it -feels- fresh. Highlights: captivating verse/chorus dynamics on -Take Me To The Moon-; -Africa-, an exuberant, Afro-pop sing-a-long; and the spacy melodicism of -Pyramid Dome-. Sculpting sounds like -New Pieces Of Clay-, GG has crafted a studio album that will endure long after the fleeting buzz of the live performance has faded.