Bored At My Grandma’s House – Sometimes I Forget You’re Human Too

Vinous critic, Neal Martin reviews recently released albums as part of his ongoing Beyond Wine series. Although labeled "Beyond Wine", there is no need to worry about missing out on wine content. Neal makes sure to recommend the perfect wine to enjoy with his album of choice. In this review, Neal recommends a new wine, such as a 2020 Riesling, to sip on while listening to Sometimes I Forget You’re Human Too. Enjoy this excerpt from Neal's album review paired with 2020 reviews from the Delectable community! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was via Bandcamp that I stumbled upon 19-year old Cumbrian-born but Leeds-based Amber Strawbridge, who goes under the moniker, Bored At My Grandma’s House. Great name, although one I cannot relate to because I always loved going to my grandma’s house. At least Strawbridge can idle away the hours messaging her friends. Think about the pre-Internet/Smartphone age when you would spend the hours kicking a punctured football around her garden, until it landed in the pond and then you would try to find a large stick to fish it out, by which time mum was yelling that it was time to go home. I digress. Strawbridge actually did think up the name when bored at her grandma’s house. I just hope Grandma didn’t take offense. Strawbridge has just released a handful of digital tracks via Bandcamp and other streaming services. Out on the Clue Records, debut EP Sometimes I Forget You’re Human Too is her first physical release, albeit in small quantities. I snapped up an ash red vinyl edition limited to 150 copies from Resident Records in Brighton, which sold out in a blink of an eye. (I have to wait for the end of lockdown to pick it up.) She specializes in what is commonly referred to as ‘dreampop’ – lo-fi guitar with dreamy vocals. Think shoegaze, Lush or bdrmm, whose producer Alex Greaves assisted with the mixing. I would not claim it is a revolutionary sound, but what she has got going for her is a way with melodies, clever guitar motifs and that all-important multi-tracked dreamy voice. Impressively, the self-taught musician played and recorded all the tracks herself and frankly there isn’t a weak track amongst the five, the title-track the catchiest. Who knows where her career will take her. Starting out at a time like this cannot be easy. But if you have talent then you must console yourself that things will surely get easier. Wine Recommendation: For a brand new artist - maybe a brand new wine? How about the 2020 Riesling from Catherine Marshall included in my recent South African report. I would say take it around to Grandma’s house, but what with social distancing, leave it on her doorstep with a note saying: “Don’t worry Grandma, we’ll be able to hug soon. In the meantime, enjoy this delicious Riesling.” --Neal Martin, Vinous, Album Review of Bored At My Grandma’s House – Sometimes I Forget You’re Human Too , March 2021.