When Geordie Greep decided to call his debut solo album an album new soundshe hadn’t yet established his sound. He knew that was going to be the title before he started recording it, at a time when no one could believe there wouldn’t be another black midi album after that. hellfire. And just a week before officially announcing the album (which he had already previewed live), the frontman revealed through a series of Instagram comments that the band was “indefinitely over.” did. What Greep teased as “new music, new groups, new sound” while promoting a show in April quickly changed the weight of expectations. Some fans, already perplexed by the Black Midi situation, may not have been thrilled with the idea of Greep going in a completely different direction, but confusion and excitement are always a positive correlation in the band’s world. there were. new sounds That’s at least partially a sign of success. Being attractive in itself is also a big plus.
Griep knows he’s not reinventing the wheel here, but creating a “new sound” as his mission statement was crucial to actually pulling it off. It seems so. From Steely Dan to various strains of Latin music, without shedding an inherently iconoclastic style, he would not have fused within the band’s context, or would have had a hard time pitching it to the band. It can be seen that he is trying out a series of different styles. influence. To really make it clear, Griep recorded the LP over several sessions on two continents. He recorded in London with former black midi members Morgan Simpson and Seth ‘Shank’ Evans, and in São Paulo with a band of free-spirited local musicians. And the perfect sonic resonance justifies the grandeur of this record. In a sense, the moments that are characterized musically are new sounds It’s the grooviest, least chaotic track, coasting a bit on newness without feeling the pressing gravity of any thematic concerns. The instrumental title track beautifully intertwines a sexy double bass solo with an electric guitar panned left and right. “Bongo season” is short but fun.
One of the reasons is the delicacy of the lyrical ideas. new sounds I think this is probably his best solo album. Griep understood that anything less than an uncompromising approach, and more importantly, a fairly focused one, could easily sink the whole ship. “It was like, ‘Oh, if this is wrong, that’s bad news,'” he said. admitted The lead single, “Holy Holy,” remains controversial as it clearly and convincingly depicts a certain pathetic character featured on the album. One of the reasons MJ Lenderman was attracted to the same type of men in her critically acclaimed film manning fireworks – His song “Wristwatch” pays particular homage to Andrew Tate, as does “Holy, Holy” – Nothing is as divisive as Griep’s preference for over-the-top showmanship over subtle unfairness It’s not a thing. Not only does he observe drunken men in bars, he’s also the one who brings them onto the stage, and the smell of male insecurity and vulgarity hangs over the centuries (whereas Lenderman’s Sketches are connected with modern times). If “Holy, Holy” isn’t up your alley, the rest probably isn’t new sounds It will be. But it provides a more complete picture.
None of this is particularly new territory for Griep. new sounds Especially in line with the last few black midi albums. But by putting himself front and center (with the exception of “Motor Bike,” where he passes the microphone to Shank), he was able to flesh out a more narratively coherent listener. Some of the cheesy musical signifiers match the banality of the characters without being fully subsumed by them, but the manic nature of the music lends itself to the characters that Gleep embodies. flowing directly. Their ridiculous fantasies, exaggerated fears, and complete disconnection from reality. It is Greep’s sense of humor that dismantles the boundaries between narrator and subject. Most lyricists end their jokes with “Do you know what I mean?/It’s your favorite phrase,” but Griep really makes the joke stick by repeating the phrase over and over again. I am. Over and over again, I said it was “yours” too. Number 2 This is my favorite phrase. ”
“Holy, Holy” is more sophisticated in its presentation than the other songs on the album, meaning it’s harder to make that distinction, but in case you were wondering, other songs on Gleep ’s acuity breaks through the façade of romanticism and sinks the characters into deeper undertones. Humiliation. It’s one thing to ridicule “another lonely executive” who only knows how to interact with someone for money, but that’s another thing. It’s one thing entirely to say, “I would cut my own belly just to hold your hand,” or, “Every time my lower back itch, I hear the music of your voice.” . His lyrics are sharp and relentless, but sometimes his intonations get the point across. obtain to you, love you. “As much as it makes fun of these people, it’s ultimately the pity that’s meant to bring out, and it’s a difficult emotion to work with throughout the album. But new sounds This work is strangely compelling in that it is more than just a collection of portraits. In the final stages, he is trying to turn things around, increasing his ambitions and seeking sympathy. But even the greatest vulnerability that Gleep can muster against these characters is not enough.
Still, beyond the profanity and debauchery, there’s something gut-wrenching about where Gleep left things. The image of the happily married spouse dying alone in the 12-minute masterpiece “The Magician” is unusually poignant. The work ends with the question: “What is left of the dreamer / Who dreams and dreams and dreams / But who thinks?” Isn’t he dreaming/Does he think he’s free?’ Of course, Greep doesn’t offer any answers, nor does it offer an entirely new sound. His ending with a cover of “If You Are But a Dream” seems to suggest that this fantastical longing is nothing new. But his own re-imagining is different enough to be swallowed up by it.
