Within the first minute of “Unclaimed Song #1″, you’ll begin to realize that Grand Unified Theory is probably the most thoughtful record you’ll hear all year. Vocalist Jerry Chen begins by confessing “I want to try to fill / the lines to this unclaimed song” in a quiet self-conscious way that evokes memories of Elliott Smith. It’s as if he’s pulling the curtain back and revealing that it’s all just a show, this song-writing gig. Still, he adds, “well here’s my stab at it / does this seem to work?”, letting you know that he’s doing his best and enlisting your help in making this something special. And he’s doing it with full disclosure.
Smart song titles and even smarter compositions fill the album. Each song is assembled so well that even on your first few listens, the songs seem familiar, and you can anticipate their changes and fills. That feeling continues through “Epilogue (Part 1 and 2)” and “Remarks Made During the Final Interview”, as Chen sings of the futility so prevalent in his generation, again drawing you in as an accomplice. It’s that same sudden bout of existentialism that grips so many upon graduation, but the poignancy with which Chen delivers his words and the dead-on reading with which the rest of the trio accompanies them sets GUT apart.
“That Beautiful Parade Down Market Street” chronicles a march down San Francisco’s main thoroughfare, replete with Julie Macon’s Patriotic drum roll. The lyrics take you through a marcher’s inner monologue as he is swept up in the spectacle of clashing beliefs. This confessional honesty makes its way into each of GUT’s songs, and if you don’t feel empathy in those words, you at least have to appreciate their depth.
Of course, you’d probably expect as much from an MIT PhD student, an infant care nurse and a Berkeley grad who majored in cognitive science. And no, Grand Unified Theory aren’t doing anything all that different — just drums, guitars, keyboards and a voice. The difference is in how well they do it.
- Steve Nelson
Splendid E-zine
November 22, 2003