Violet Grohl – Be Sweet to Me Review

Where nerve damage from wrist to elbow would stop other, lesser writers from cracking on, here we are. Violet Grohl’s debut album is worth hauling yourself over to the desk, cracking through a few painkillers and hearing what she has to say on Be Sweet to Me. Her eleven-track album is a first for the songwriter, whose father has much experience writing but not much when it comes to quality. That is where Violet Grohl has the upper hand. Be Sweet to Me is a strong debut, not because of the name associated with it, but the songs and instrumental significance of the work within. When has damage to a limb ever stopped someone from listening to a debut album? Presumably at least once, but this isn’t one of those times. Screaming pain but musical bliss is the contrast necessary for these heatwave days and Be Sweet to Me is well worth the time for those wanting a slice of familiar-sounding but crucially honest work.  

Rock and roll volatility are what Grohl offers on opener, THUM. A roaring and thumping piece of alternative rock work with heavy electric guitar work. A gutsy opener that’s over as soon as it starts. A monumental wakeup call of a song that relies on that punchy, punk-like energy more than anything. When the tempo slows, when those charged and pent-up instrumental pieces subside, you’re left with songs like 595. Strong, strong work. That’s consistent the whole way through this Grohl album. A lot of it will leave a listener wanting more and so soon after the first album. Be Sweet to Me is consistent. That’s the crucial part of any debut album. Grohl shows off the fundamentals of the genre but her occasional twist on the formula is enough to warrant another listen or two. Where she can take the rock and roll structure is of interest, and it’s songs like Bug in the Cake that make Be Sweet to Me such a fascinating listen. Occasional pivots into alternative rock’s past, but never a big enough switch-up to lose sight of those genre fundamentals.  

Much of what Grohl writes about is finding a new start in the end. A conclusion is also a beginning if framed correctly. That’s what Be Sweet to Me is filled with and the instrumental consistencies throughout are a magnificent addition. Slowed, twinkling moments on Mobile Star adapt that lullaby-like tranquillity into an inevitable yet subtly creepy space. Often Others and Afterfish offer this grunge-adjacent style. There’s a tenderness to the softer flourishes of the electric guitar on Afterfish, an antidote to the heavier tone trialled in the preceding songs. It’s the highlight of the album, well and truly. Instrumentally and lyrically confident work with a vocal range that brings out the best in the material at hand. Grohl has mastered that appealing intensity on her first album. Where it goes from here lingers in the back of the mind on a first listen, but then the little nuances that’re sparked on repeating the likes of Last Day I Loved You and Often Others reveal just how great Grohl is already.  

There is room still for a classic, stripped-back to basics rock and roll style. Cool Buzz is exactly that and serves as an antidote not just to the rest of the out-there album offerings but the wider genre, which has been lacking in recent years. Penultimate song, Pool of My Dreams, is a masterstroke from Grohl. Another late-stage album piece which highlights just how strong a songwriter she is. She manages to conjure up the weird and wonderful with a crucial balance. It’s never the selling point of the song nor the focus, but it becomes such an integral factor, a crucial piece of work where you can hear the influences of a richly lived musical life. PJ Harvey and Sloppy Jane can be credited for paving the way towards Be Sweet to Me, a staggering debut album experience.