THE NEW SOUND

Prog rock this year has been really good. I probably say that every year now that I think about it. But either way, it is pretty true, especially when plenty of modern artists like Kyros, Eunuchs, and Papangu get the recognition that they rightfully deserve on sites like RYM, AOTY, and Progarchives. Not only that, but with the advent of Geordie Greep's debut solo effort, dubbed The New Sound, it seems like the hype for new prog music isn't stopping anytime soon.

Geordie Greep is a man that entered into the prog fray with his avant-prog group black midi, though after the disbandment of the group, Greep focused his attention into the mindset of the likes of Peter Gabriel or any other progressive solo endeavor by releasing a solo effort, one that seems to be taking the indie music sphere by storm, and for good reason! The New Sound just hits that good!

The New Sound is a cacophony of what seems to be Greep's inherent influences, as well a stylistic decision to move away from his avant-prog past. While the album opens up with something that could understandably be seen as a black midi song that didn't see the light of day, the album shows it proper colors with the Latin infused jazz rock Terra, and from there you got yourself one of the most fun records from this year! I was honestly really surprised hearing the Latin influences upon my first listen of the Holy Holy single a few months back, but it was quite the happy surprise since Greep really does rock a more Santana-esque style pretty effortlessly. Not only in a rock front, but also in a jazz fusion front too. Some tracks like the title track, Bongo Season, and some moments on The Magician give way to atmospheres and characteristics that one can find on, say, Caravanserai, or even Borboletta.

I am honestly constantly bewildered by this album and just how effortless Greep's performance feels. Greep definitely had skills before, don't get me wrong, but on The New Sound I feel like I really begin to understand Greep's whole work ethic, and just how he can switch from manic infused prog to smooth-laden jazz on a dime. It feels like he really isn't holding back on this record, and for that it brings joy to me. He is really embracing the inherent beauty and diversity that prog can bring. Pretty much a modern day Fripp.

Though, with all that said, I do find a few of the more avant-prog songs to be a little unneeded. There's only three, and each are pretty good in retrospect, but they all kinda feel like unused black midi tracks, especially Blues. While Walk Up and Motorbike are quite interesting in their themes and how they play into the album a bit more, I feel like Blues was a track that probably needed some more work on, especially lyrically. Like, black midi definitely had some choice lyrics sometimes, but that line about the stallion...that's a tad TOO avant, you know?

But, if we're on the topic of avant-prog, I do appreciate Greep for moving away from it here, putting a bigger focus on jazz and Latin rock. It is especially apparent on the longest track of The Magician, which is a song that I expected to be the most avant-garde, but it ended up being quite straight-laced. The album does still dabble in tiny bits of avant-prog, but aside from the three more overt tracks, the avant-gardeness feels more like a lead up into newer territories, or to bridge a gap or two, which I think is a smart way of going about things. After all, it's better to not abandon your old fans, right?

This album does honestly get better and better with each listen, especially Holy Holy. I don't know how, but Greep managed to make progressive rock danceable! SOUND THE ALARMS FOLKS! I am not exaggerating that danceable part, I honestly swing my hips whenever that song comes on. Whether it be Greep combining mambo with his prog sound, or just the sheer jazziness, Holy Holy has easily become one of my favorite songs of this year, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Debuts are always hit or miss, and I can confidently say that The New Sound is not only a hit, but a homerun for Greep! It has flaws, sure, but if we're getting THIS level of quality into future releases from Geordie, then I bet he'll deliver hit after hit after hit. Absolutely, 100% check this record out! It blooms passion out of every note, and I guarantee it will be labeled as a classic in due time, so listen to it!

Best tracks: Holy Holy, Through a War, Bongo Season, As If Waltz, The Magician

Least best tracks: Blues, Walk Up, Motorbike

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