Signal to Snow Ratio

Musical style

In the describing the EP's music, AllMusic's Nitsuh Abebe writes "the band takes a large step away from its more straightforward pop and rock constructions, choosing instead to toy with the vintage electronics which added texture to [Under the Western Freeway], and to work with more roundabout and inventive pop structures which come off perfectly. Far from the typical Pavemment and Weezer references which hovered around the LP, the best aesthetic reference for Signal to Snow Ratio would be more along the lines of Mercury Rev – the sounds might be completely different, but the intelligent and imaginative approach to rethinking pop music is very much the same."

Release

Signal to Snow Ratio was released in 1999 and is also included in the special edition of the album The Sophtware Slump.

Reception

Brent DiCrescenzo of Pitchfork described it as "A brief burst of infectious ideas, while sometimes specious, the EP packs as many subtle effects and pleasurable references that seem possible before bursting the po-mo bubble in its 13 minutes." Nitsuh Abebe of AllMusic described it as "a beautiful progression from Under the Western Freeway, Grandaddy's last full-length release" and "a very promising note from an ever-more-promising band."

Track listing

All music written by Jason Lytle.

1. "Hand Crank Transmitter"
2. "Jeddy 3's Poem"
3. "MGM Grand"
4. "Protected from the Rain"