If the current trend in indie rock is any indication of where the future of this genre will be, then San Francisco trio, Geographer, are on their way to the top. Composed of founding member Michael Deni, he soon enlisted the talent of Nathan Blaz (of St. Vincent), and drummer Brian Ostreicher. What has come from this union is heartfelt indietronica with a touch of orchestral synth-pop.
The first thing you notice when you dip into the 6 tracks of the EP is the instrumentation they have used to create these lush, sweet melodies and sounds. On the organic side they make ample use of guitars, both acoustic and electric, as well as the cello. Besides the instruments, what also makes this album a great listen is the electronic elements. Every type of synth sound you can think of is carefully intertwine with the melodies and harmonies, plus, they have such a warm sound that it makes you wonder what kind of outboard gear they were using.
The other thing you notice is that the songs vary from hi to low, but that should be expected since a lot of the tracks on the EP were recorded when Mr. Deni moved from NJ to San Fran after a series of family deaths in 2005. With a guitar and a synth he found on the street, he crafted many of the tunes that you hear on Animal Shapes. I have to say though that the one thing that sets this group apart from the rest is the the cello work of Nathan Blaz, his tender touch to those strings just fills you with emotions and feelings.
I have to admit that these guys have the sound that the indie masses love, and no doubt they will. Plus, when you think about the large amount of girls who will hear these tunes, well, they will be hooked for a while.
With that in mind check out the song “Kites” below and look for the Animal Shapes EP to be released on August 17 on Tricycle Records.
enjoY!
Hey nice post Jemex! 🙂