Dynamite Bouquet is the ninth and newest album from Sante Fe indie musician Guy Grogan. Having once interned for Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, there’s a strong undercurrent of power pop at the root of Grogan’s sound; and his relatively strict DIY aesthetic is essentially retained on this latest record, with some mixing and mastering done at Kitchen Sink Studios. There’s a little bit of something for everyone here, from the glammed-up reverb heavy “My Own Way Out,” to intimate acoustic ballads like “What If I Told You.”
Interestingly, there’s something undeniably reminiscent of Chris Bell and Alex Chilton’s vocals in his own; perhaps, it’s that slightly nasally, charmingly nascent quality that is not without a touch of contradictory weariness. Guided By Voices is clearly another strong influence, instantly recognizable on the poppy electric strut of “Nowhere Is Paradise.”
For all of the quirky production techniques, however, the album is a testament to Grogan’s knack for a strong melody. It’s not impossible to imagine many of these songs becoming pop hits in some parallel universe.The cool jazz-like “Moonbird” alone has the conceivable potential to be a standard. Overall, Dynamite Bouquet is like a songbook of Grogan’s heart, each song a different facet of his taste and personality.
