Review: AAA Gripper ‘We Invented Work For The Common Good’

For a record that brings ‘work’ into the frame from the title, there is a surprising amount of play and joy in these songs – a writer enjoying language, musicians enjoying playing together. But then here lies another contradiction – while there’s an in-the-room freewheeling feel and sound, the record was apparently constructed in a more deliberate way.

That AAA Gripper started from Joe Thompson and Lee Richardson’s bass and drum tracks makes sense, and for all the stream-of-consciousness style M Edward Cole has clearly done a bit of writing before opening his mouth, but the surprise is, as stated on the press release, Thomas House’s ‘wild guitar strafe’ was an addition after the initial rhythm tracks. His angular approach will be familiar to fans of Joeyfat (yes, I had to look them up) and swings from bluesy shuffle to indy jangle and antagonistic offbeat noise like Fatso Jetson in their narky android-mode.

Those with prior exposure to Mr Cole will also recognise his laconic hectoring, dropping us in the middle of his scene and making use of both sneering disdain (‘you’re a 5 o’clock Friday afternoon toss-off’) and wide-eyed innocence (‘first time on a boat, it’s my first time abroad!’). There’s a directness to his delivery, but with often several tracks layered, we get voices voices voices as he covers class and consumer capitalism, beauty products, royalty and quotidian neuroses.

from bluesy shuffle to indy jangle and antagonistic offbeat noise…

Would he be offended at the pretentious use of ‘vignettes’? Could be, and maybe for an international audience some of these tales are a bit Small Island, but for all that Cole might claim ‘this is not poetry’, his performance relies on tickling minds and touching a nerve that will resonate.

The sense of enjoyment I pointed to is surely the thing with AAA Gripper, an endeavour right in the sweet spot of Wrong Speed Records whose 2023 get-together sowed the seeds for the collaboration. Something leaning towards ‘indy rock’ in a way that Hey Colossus have been marching towards for some time, much to the discomfort of some coming to this place from a heavy-riff, noise-rock direction, but without compromise or mediocrity in a way that the ‘indy’ term has become tainted.

Certainly, it’s not the death metal, stoner-rock, doom or sludge that is often covered here at The Sleeping Shaman, but on We Invented Work For The Common Good, listeners will find plenty of satisfying interplay and groove, wry stories and surely something to enjoy.

Label: Wrong Speed Records
Band Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram

Scribed by: Harry Holmes