Jason Lytle being the main man of Grandaddy has likely brought most of the crowd along tonight but his solo work really is a treat. This was a really intimate gig due to the lighting, relaxed nature of the performers and the crowd – the sound was also fantastic.

The set is simple with his dollar bill laden keyboard, acoustic guitar and second guitar/backing/synths. Lytle worked through tracks from the new album like ‘Matterhorn’ and ‘Dept. of Disappearance’. Each song ending was interlaced with loops of a clock ticking and snippets of the track ‘Chopin Drives Truck To The Dump’.

Jason’s vocals are super smooth, reminiscent of Ben Kweller or Ben Gibbard from Death Cab For Cutie. He’s a songwriting scholar too – there’s hints of Brian Wilson in the use of major to minor chords with the odd diminished thrown in for good measure.

It must irk him that the Grandaddy song ‘The Crystal Lake’ gets the biggest cheer of the night, especially as his solo work has the same captivating qualities as his former band’s output. However, it was a cohesive performance and the duo seemed to be enjoying themselves. More than a gig, it felt more like they were jamming in a living room with their friends.

Haunt, Saturday 9th February 2013
Words and photos by Dan Griffiths