THE NEW SOUND

As the frontman and lead guitarist of Black Midi, GEORDIE GREEP helped usher in a new wave of British rock known as the Windmill Scene which refers to the pub in Brixton, London area that has hosted many famous bands including Bloc Party, Stereolab and more recently Squid, Black Country New Road and Fat White Family. GREEP also contributed to one of the newer strains of prog to emerge in the 2020s which took the styles of avant-prog, noise rock, math rock, jazz fusion, hard rock and 20th century Vaudeville, threw it all into the blender and spat out three fine albums that propelled the band to the top ranks of cutting edge experimental rock of the current decade. Sadly this band which seems like it just started lasted no more than seven years and after only three studio albums after going on a "hiatus."

With solo projects in mind as the next step, the first to emerge was crooner-core extraordinaire GEORDIE GREEP who wasted no time in bringing his own musical visions to life in the form of THE NEW SOUND which offers Black Midi fans a chance to experience which part of the band's sound was courtesy of GREEP's influence. A much tamer affair than the Midis, GREEP still finds ways of infusing turbulent math rock and prog uproar into his oft sensual and retro crooning throwback to 1950s Frank Sinatra or mid-20th-century showtunes. Add a touch of samba, guitar funk, smooth jazz, Steely Dan inspired art rock and heavy doses of jittery zolo-esque brutal prog and you get the gist of GREEP's first solo album which features 11 tracks and will require an hour's plus worth of your attention span to get through.

Notable for its lyrical content as well as its avant-musical performances, THE NEW SOUND features GREEP as the raconteur of a group of men GREEP had met while drinking at club and the tales of their sexual encounters and all the related drama. Infused into somewhat of a concept album each track chronicles a different escapade of the various characters portrayed throughout the album's narrative only laced with nebulous references and Frank Zappa inspired silliness. Musically this a big budget ticket having been recorded in both London and São Paulo with over 30 musicians participating in the process thus giving it a big sound with a diverse roster of instruments and musical dynamics. While less hairpin turn inspired to delve into extreme prog escapades than what GREEP participated in with Black Midi, THE NEW SOUND finds somewhat of a middle ground between the prog extremes and a more controlled singer / songwriter style that focuses more squarely on his vocal idiosyncrasies.

This is a heavily orchestrated album with a blitzkrieg of instrumentation bombarding your senses at any given moment. The newest version of a big band perhaps? While the overarching emphasis is the lyrical developments GREEP made sure to offer enough wild instrumental accompaniments to keep the album squarely in the world of experimental rock, avant-prog, jazz rock and art rock despite the crossover appeal that this one strives for. In many ways GREEP reminds me of a modern day Peter Gabriel who had just left a successful prog band in order to delve into a new style that focuses on melodic lyrical deliveries over the crafty instrumental excesses however THE NEW SOUND also features the instrumental bombast of a Bjork album where larger than life orchestrated ensembles bedazzle you with a flurry of unorthodox backings. It's really a strange mix of the worlds of modern art pop, prog and 20th century vocal jazz yet somehow GREEP pulls it off with seeming ease.

At an hour's length this one is a commitment for sure as it's not an easy listen although the vocal melodies are quite easy to digest upon a single listen. The gap between the instantly accessible and the more brutal complexities is quite stark and one of the most interesting qualities of the album as a whole. The opening "Blues" is probably the most daring and bold tracks that blasts the listener immediately with math rock riffing on speed while GREEP offers his best Vegas show whippersnapper version of Tom Jones, a most interesting and unexpected juxtaposition of styles for sure. A moment of poetic prose talking about "bigger dicks" and sexual conquests will keep your attention span from wandering and awaiting the next musical development and lyrical lewdness!

The album is fairly well paced with each track offering something different from the last. The second track "Terra" contrasts with the opening bombast with a more playful and soulful light samba-jazz vocal performance and a nightclubby vibe. The single "Holy Holy" jumps back into some heavy choppy guitar riffing and crafty hi-speed energy but immediately reminds me of the Latin jazz meets disco-rock of Bumblefoot's "Uncool" album. GREEP's gruff vocal style offers a unique sound for a retro crooner for sure. The title track again jumps into a jazzy Latin rock style only with some complex syncopation in the form of clever jazz fusion and as an instrumental allows the various musicians to take the lead and craft a larger than life band sound with GREEP only offering some vocal utterances in the mix. "Walk Up" takes on a clear Steely Dan jazz rock sound while tracks like "Through A War" and the 12-minute plus "The Magician" find GREEP delivering earnest lyrical sappiness with rather cheesy instrumental accompaniments. Clearly the album as good as it is could've benefited from some editing.

While GREEP's debut may not offer the same expansiveness as the Black Midi albums, for a solo artist to jump into the limelight and deliver such a big sounding album is quite impressive. Jumping into the modern music scene as one of the best retro crooners as if he is the reincarnation of Frank Sinatra (keep in mind Sinatra passed away in 1998 just a year before GREEP was born) which seems even more likely with the album's closer, GREEP's version of the Sinatra classic "If You Are But A Dream." This is one of those albums that will surely be a divisive one with one camp who found the Black Midi sound to be too extreme who will love this one to no end and for those (like me) who prefer the experimental expansiveness of the Black Midi canon and find this one to be too compromised in order to find a bigger commercial and popular following. Despite my preference for the band over the man as a solo artist, nobody can deny how impressive this debut album really is with its larger than life sound that brings many traditional sounds that range from vocal jazz, mid-20th-century pop and showtune sounds as well as swing and jazz into the context of the brave new world. An excellent debut for sure and i'm sure GREEP will continue to evolve and bedazzle us with future releases.

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