The Guggenheim Grotto – “The Universe is Laughing” (Review)

By Danielle Cumbo on July 15, 2010

I was cruising through iTunes one day looking for new music when I stumbled across The Guggenheim Grotto. What pulled me in immediately was a beautiful voice that reminded me of Tim Finn from Crowded House, and the search began to learn more about this duo from Dublin, Ireland. The band’s debut CD, Waltzing Alone, was self-released to immediate critical acclaim in 2005, and they followed that up with Happy the Man in 2008 which only had a small release in the U.S. and Ireland in 2008 before being released to stores in 2009.

The Universe is Laughing is a gorgeous collection of songs that explore the themes of mankind’s infinite search for love, understanding, wanting and fulfillment. Each song feels like a moment in time where you are getting a glimpse into someone’s soul. My favorite song is “Ruby Heart” which is just a gorgeous song about being patient while waiting for love: “I’ve been here before/waiting with my arms wide open/like a maestro waiting for his show to start.” The Guggenheim Grotto also reminds me a bit of my other favorite Irish band from the 1980’s, Prefab Sprout, who also crafted beautiful lyrical songs. Do yourself a favor and download The Universe is Laughing from iTunes you won’t be disappointed.