Idiot Grins

If you’ve been yearning for the kind of rock, soul and funk that Chicago laid down on their first few albums, look no further than Idiot Grins. The Bay Area band lay down some funky grooves with a solid horn backdrop. Even with their smooth, polished sound and arrangements they leave plenty of room for some tasty improvisational guitar solos. The opening track, “Get Busy Dying”, features the sometimes solemn, always soulful vocals of John Hansen while the horn section dynamically blasts their harmonic interjections. Also of note is Mike Conner on keys. His organ embellishments shimmer and shine on tracks like “Frock” and “Build It”.

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What you’re really going to remember about this album though is the fabulous vocals of the Byrd Sisters (Lauren, Lena and Lisa). Their backup vocals sometimes almost dominate the texture and sound of State of Health. From the tasteful background vocals on “Big Starry Night” to their heart wrenching, melancholic tones on “Mama’s Tears”, they never fail to deliver a quality performance.

Their third album is simply a fun and delicious treat.

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Idiot Grins is an Oakland, CA band. Members are Michael Conner, Evan Eustis, John Hansen, Michael Melgoza and Randy Strauss.

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