This is a review of "Inventing The Pildo EP" recorded by Grannys4skin. The review was written by Jessica Thornsby in 2008.

With their abrasive, cartoonish vocals and shock-tactic lyrics, Grannys4Skin aren't going to be to everyone's taste.

It's saying something when the fluttery, alt-country jaunt of 'Whoop Shank Bong' is one of a release's more conventional songs. It's also their strongest offering, with an irresistibly bouncy drumbeat, likeably dumb gang vocals and bursts of country-and-western-on-speed violin. It all makes for a punk-paced, hoedown-loving piece of twisted genius that's as infectious as it is irritating. Best of all, it clocks in at under two minutes, so it's over before the novelty value has a chance to wear off.

Second track 'Look At Me' is an odd combination of hoarse vocals, bright riffs and twinkling synths, which really shouldn't work as well as it does. The chorus doesn't quite live up to the verses, as the drum-bursts and shrapnel-like vocals prove slightly too disjointed to be properly catchy.

Overall, 'Look At Me' is less hook-packed than 'Whoop Shank Bong,' but its essential dumbness is still worryingly addictive.

'Wine Me Dine Me' is by far the strangest track on this EP. It ricochets between a nasal mock-female vocal that sounds bizarrely like Cartman from South Park; funky, boy band-aping harmonies; and gang vocals shouted over a riotous, punky riff. As it lurches from one ridiculous-sounding section to the next, it's easy to write 'Wine Me Dine Me' off as a joke. However, the no-brainer vocals are surprisingly catchy and, before you know it, Grannys4Skin's lyrical nastiness will have well and truly wormed its way into your head.

Just when you thought you had Grannys4Skin pegged, they throw a complete curveball in the form of the straight-faced, epic-sounding 'Boy Cried Wolf.' Driven by a marching drumbeat and with plenty of wailing violins, 'Boy Cried Wolf' is a glacial-cool rock song, complete with soaring chorus. But the biggest surprise is the accomplished vocal performance, which makes you wonder what Grannys4Skin are playing at with the comedy vocals of the rest of this EP.

They also put an unexpectedly stylish twist on 'Boy Cried Wolf's lyrics, giving it a mythological feel that, together with the atmospheric violins, conspire to make it sound surprisingly epic.

After three songs of likeable silliness, you'll find yourself scrutinising 'Boy Cried Wolf' for some trace of humour, but there really doesn't seem to be any. 'Boy Cried Wolf' is just a non-serious band having a straight-faced moment. Odd.

Grannys4Skin are a mass of contradictions. They strike a perfect balance between annoyingly catchy, and just plain annoying, producing something that will set your teeth on edge even as it fixes itself in your skull. They also seem determined to alienate their audience with their mental vocals and crude lyrics, while proving that, if they wanted to, they could do 'serious' music very well.

'Inventing The Pildo' is a release the vast majority of people will hate, but a minority will go absolutely mental for. An acquired taste, to say the least.