Crystal Gravy has been producing some of the most satisfying music I've heard in years, and I'm not being hyperbolic. When you've grown up around bands who strive to be the heaviest, fastest, or most angst-y it's a breath of fresh air to hear something that is not only the complete opposite, but an entity that revels in it; wears it like a badge to proudly display to everyone and anyone willing to hear them out.
I think that's what initially drew me to their music. Well, that and they're my friends. However there's something about the C-Grave that a lot of other bands lack, and that, my friends, is their authenticity. They're absolutely dripping wet with genuineness, whether you've seen them live or have listened to their previous installments. What they're presenting to you, the listener, is real emotion and raw talent. I have a lot of respect for bands who obviously put a lot of time into their music; patience is the most pleasing aesthetic and I absolutely loathe bands who hide behind punk music to mask their laziness.
Helicopter To Bang Mansion, in my mind, is an instant underground classic. If college rock/radio was still as much of a powerhouse today as it was in the early 80's this album would be huge. People would be comparing it to the first R.E.M album that Rolling Stone is constantly sucking off. Not because they sound in any way similar, but because they both mark a new beginning of being true to ones self. Crystal Gravy plays the music that they themselves want to hear. They don't do it in the name of potential fame or to fit in with a preexisting genre. They do it because they like it! Why is this so hard for some people!? [I'm guilty of this myself sometimes]
Donna Dana and Love Lottery are without a doubt my two favorite tracks on here.
The only drawback to this album: not enough songs about Christmas.
I heavily implore you to listen here:
https://crystalgravy.bandcamp.com/album/helicopter-to-bang-mansion
