Grace Inspace ‘Uncertain, CA’

“I find it hard to decide in uncertain California,” sings Cali-via-UK skatergal Grace Inspace. Sparked by starry-eyed intrigue, the desire to “see how far [she] could go” dissipated amidst lulling waves and rustling palm leaves.

Inspace’s Uncertain California, almost certainly localized to that which comprises L.A. and southwards, is a funny place indeed. With the constancy of sunny weather, smiling faces, and lazy afternoons, one can happily fall into its cyclical rhythm.

Steel drums and beachside-lounge guitars sidekick Grace’s pure vocals. Autotuned to shiny SoCal perfection and backed by gold-toned sonic replicas, Grace and her band of silicone goddesses bring the shimmy of Hawaiian skirts and the spirit hands of showbiz.

Yet, peppered throughout the song are moments where the wrapping paper pulls back, where the predecessing VHS content peeks through that which was recorded over it.

Through rose-coloured shades, we see beautiful Grace in her gauzy immortality, audaciously taunting the camera with glossy lips and luscious locks. “Angels can be tomboys too!” Grace seems to exclaim in her 90s-camcorded skate clips that slice through gaudy beach babe perfection.

And so too should the environment by which this infinite chill came to be absolutely not be taken for granted. Grace’s conceptual uncertainty percolates not only through personal indecisiveness but also extends more largely to an unpredictability of the region’s topography itself. Splicing together surfboards and wildfires and earthquakes, Grace notes that “the magic of California is synonymous with its uncertainty; you have to be comfortable in the apocalyptic vision it often teeters on to become a true Californian.”

What’s next for Grace? Weening off sleep-inducing sun can only bring a resurgence of witty self-deprecating humor. Who’s to say what the misty West Coast or fast-paced Mid-Atlantic will bring to her subtly satirical superb lyricism? One thing’s certain—Grace Inspace has heralded the next era of the almighty green screen. Stay tuned [fade to black…]

-L