Sometimes the most profound artistic statements come in small packages. The Grasping Straws prove this with “Shapes,” their new 22-minute album that manages to explore nothing less than how we find genuine connection and meaning in our modern world.
The experimental rock outfit’s latest offering dropped July 23rd – eight tracks that explore the intersection between our digital lives and natural world with refreshing clarity. The album follows up their previous release “Patterns,” but where that record focused on cycles of abuse and emotional confinement, “Shapes” takes a broader, more hopeful view. Songwriter Mallory Feuer, who was learning software engineering while writing the album, weaves coding terminology throughout lyrics that ultimately celebrate our connections to nature and each other.
“Comforts,” released as a single in June, has emerged as the album’s breakout track. The accompanying music video, directed by Clare O’Kane, features beachy visuals that perfectly capture the song’s liberating message. The video culminates with Feuer shedding her belongings and walking into the ocean – a powerful visual representation of the freedom she sings about. While the lyrics acknowledge modern anxieties – pockets stuffed with keys and phones, backpacks loaded with “inhaler, an extra sweater, earplugs, eyedrops” – they ultimately arrive at the simple, beautiful desire to “just wanna be free.”
The production team brings serious credentials to this project. Gordon Raphael, known for his work with The Strokes and Regina Spektor, handled production duties. Recording took place at Ground Control Studios with engineer Murray Trider, while Dom Richmond from Eiger Studios mastered the final product. The core band – Feuer on vocals, Seth Benjamin on lead guitar, Sam Goldfine on bass, and Henry Vaughn on drums – creates a sound that blends alt-rock, jazz, grunge, and psychedelic elements into something uniquely their own.
Tracks like “Robots” thoughtfully examine technology’s role in our lives, while “Fingers” and “Water It” celebrate spiritual connections to the earth. The band describes shapes as “ethereal building blocks of language, emotion, understanding, and communication,” finding beauty in how we connect beyond the digital noise.
The Grasping Straws are currently touring the East Coast in support of the release. Tonight they’ll be at No Fun in Troy, NY, with remaining dates through August 3rd including stops in Amherst and Hamden.
In just 22 minutes, “Shapes” accomplishes what many albums fail to do in twice the time – it offers a genuine artistic vision that feels both timely and timeless. The album is now available on all streaming platforms. Follow the band on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, and X, or visit their website.
