A reference to Jules Vernes’ ‘Around the World in Eighty Days;’ the French word for a passkey; or a flimsy card-board backed frame. The word “Passepartout” could mean many things, but in any context bares a sense of transience and a person in motion. Grumpus, the musical moniker of Boston-based Graham Stevenson, opens his latest release with this word, the track’s namesake. This sentiment is fitting for a song written in multiple phases and locations across the country, carrying with it a little piece of Denver, Oregon, the East Coast, and finally Brooklyn.
Written in the style of a looped track, “Passepartout” builds with each successive verse and chorus, repeating key phrases and hooks throughout. Like any well-written looped song, the core melody is a simple but exceedingly pleasant riff that Stevenson embellishes with layers of vocals and more complex instrumentation. Give this song a listen while you daydream about renovating a ‘71 bay-window bus to drive through the lower ‘48, collecting ephemeral items at each stop you make.
Keep up with Grumpus here.
