There is something both magical and terrifying about your early twenties. The juxtaposing feelings conjured up by having the whole world in front of you yet not knowing what to do with it is a breeding ground for unplaced anxieties and unexplainable stressors. Most people in this age range look for external solutions for internal problems, turning their attention to the realities of the world and placing the blame on them because where else is all this energy supposed to go? Suddenly, a bright light appears in the form of a twenty-something songwriter/guitar virtuoso who is putting all of the confusion of youth to lush pop music with wisdom far beyond his years.
Grimson is the project of New York City-bred, Berlin-based Aiden Berglund, and his debut album, Climbing Up The Chimney, shows the early signs of a natural talent finding their footing. For fourteen emotionally draining yet oddly refreshing tracks laced with vulnerability and a natural knack for harmonies, Berglund’s debut traverses the complex emotions of entering adulthood via moving poetry delivered by infectious melodies.
Berglund is not another viral TikTok star using his platform to live out a rock star fantasy, the music of his debut speaks for itself. While his love for The Beatles is as clear as day on these pop-rock anthems, borrowing tones and song structure from the legendary band, there is something undeniably unique about Climbing Up The Chimney. For such a young artist to release songs that reach this level of honesty shows an artist who matured quicker than their peers and found solace in moody yet bright pop. Berglund’s guitar work is the centerpiece of his debut, he is able to go from stadium-sized solos to simplistic rhythms while allowing these moments to fall naturally into place in his songwriting. The arrangements on Climbing Up The Chimney are anchored by youthful angst and veteran musicianship, creating the perfect canvas for the artist’s heart-on-his-sleeve style lyricism.
Berglund’s songwriting is able to put the mass confusion of a generation raised on the internet into emotionally articulate pieces of art. The artist seemingly defined the classic sentiment of taking your whole life to create your debut, digging deep into his memory bank to unearth past experiences and transcribing them to the masses. From his humble soapbox, Berglund pens stirring novels that lean on simplicity to translate complex emotions. “Leave It Like You Found It” speaks to the natural abilities of the artist by crafting a grandiose sentiment just vague enough to relate to but direct enough to feel the heavy heart these words must have been written with. “Motor Song” shows a grasp of literary devices that aid in the melancholy tone of the song while “How Come No One Told Me” feels like a future anthem for disenchanted college grads heading out into the world. Climbing Up The Chimney plays like a look into Berglund’s diary and the Grimson vehicle he created to express himself comes tinged with veteran-level arrangements.
While Berglund’s voice carries the themes, the arrangements of his debut drive home his point of view. The complex yet full instrumentals toe the line between striking and humble, allowing for moments of quaint intimacy and full-fledged clinics on guitar pop. He sets the tone of the LP with “Fault Lines”, the arrangement is filled with twists and turns that welcome us to the debut of a young yet shining star. While the aforementioned Beatles comparison rings true for most of the album, it is Berglund’s guitar work that separates him from the rest. “Heavy Machine” might be the best example of this, acoustic strumming morphs into electronic rhythms only to transform once again into a fiery explosion of advanced musicianship. There is no linear formula to his arrangements, he instead allows the music to keep up with his honest lyricism and meet in the middle for pure pop bliss.
One Response
Great album – fine review!