Piebald [CD]

Grumpy's EP Piebald is a lopsided grin with a knife behind it - a shimmery gut punch that turns the grotesque into glamor and heartbreak into theater. Anchored by a voice that wavers between charming villain and sad clown, Piebald invites the listener into a world where ugliness isn't just embraced - it's the source of Grumpy's power.Piebald flings itself open into an invitation to really love the ugly stuff: not just accept it, not just endure it, but wrap your arms all the way around and drink in the scent of it's fur. "Bird Parts" opens the EP with the thesis, "My girl isn't mine / I'm a bottom feeder / I can't kiss her but she calls me when I really need her.""That's Grumpy's ethos in miniature," says Schmitt. "It insists on dignity in the midst of humiliation, on connection despite rejection. It's about remaining indispensable even when discarded. Piebald doesn't ask for pity. It casts a spell and dares you to look away."