Drew Grow is a singer and lyricist not afraid of the grand gesture or playing to the last row of the balcony, which is why he's a frontman. He's also not worried about sounding grandiose or a bit absurd; he's an indie rocker with the larger-than-life vibe of an arena rock star, even if the arenas aren't ready for him. Grow has a cult following for his work with the bands Modern Kin and Drew Grow and the Pastors' Wives, but he's found a bigger stage to show off his swagger on the debut album from Slang, 2022's Cockroach in a Ghost Town. Grow co-founded Slang with Janet Weiss, the celebrated drummer who has worked with Sleater-Kinney, Quasi, and Wild Flag, and with Anita Lee Elliot (formerly of Viva Voce) on lead guitar and Kathy Foster (of the Thermals and Roseblood) on bass, he's part of what could reasonably called a Pacific Northwest indie supergroup. While the buzzy guitars, angular but pop-infused melodies, layers of electronic seasoning, and deliberate rhythms don't sound out of character for Weiss or Foster, it's the sheer brio of Grow's vocals that puts him at center stage on this album, and he's a good ringmaster for this particular rock & roll circus. He delivers larger-than-life pomp on "Wilder," deep echoey cool on "King Gunn," shows off his high notes on the Bowie-esque "Wrong Wrong Wrong," and makes like he's the star of his own little blockbuster on the title track. Grow is lucky that his bandmates can deliver music strong and distinctive enough to support his ambitions, especially the clean, clear harmony vocals, the cinematic keyboard fills, and Weiss' big, decisive drumming. (They also get some help from guest stars Stephen Malkmus, Mary Timony, and Sam Coomes, the latter two already familiar with Weiss from their other projects together.) Hopefully Slang's next album will give Grow's bandmates a bit more room to shine, but Cockroach in a Ghost Town reveals this group have talent and ideas to spare, and this is indie rock that makes the most of its eccentricities.
© Mark Deming /TiVo