Image Credits: Bandcamp
If we care more about how we are viewed by the world than how we perceive ourselves, we are doomed to a path of self-destruction.
That is the struggle that perplexes the protagonist in Geordie Greep’s expansive debut solo project and concept album, The New Sound. Geordie Greep is the former lead singer and guitarist of the experimental rock band Black Midi. The band, four art school musicians with a variety of musical inspirations and a love for improvisation, burst onto the British experimental rock scene in 2017. They found their roots in post-rock while also incorporating aspects of classic jam bands. Greep himself finds inspiration from progressive rock, jazz, salsa, and even gospel music. The band’s first album, Schlagenheim, leans heavily on their improvisational style, often consisting of just a few riffs (or in the case of their debut single “bmbmbm,” a few notes) and lyrics per song which repeat and evolve across its nine tracks. Though this album received universal acclaim, Black Midi’s sophomore album, Cavalcade, moved away from the bleak post-rock of their debut album. Its diverse array of sounds harkened back to the band’s musical influences and included new session and touring musicians, such as keyboardist Seth Evans. The band refined their sound even further with their next project, Hellfire, a maximalist exploration of all types of music from flamenco to post-punk. This album featured an increased lyrical focus, as Geordie wrote about people “destined for Hell” alluding to classical religion, ranging from soldiers (“Welcome to Hell”) to brothel owners (“The Defence”) to murderers (“Sugar/Tzu”). Amidst all the excitement around the band, it shocked the world when Black Midi broke up suddenly in 2024. The band’s abrupt departure opened up questions about the future of each member’s music, many of which would be answered with Geordie’s debut solo project: The New Sound.
The New Sound is an album just as creative as it is unapologetic in its brash sounds and strange lyrics. Greep’s musical influences are on full display on this album. The song “Terra” is deeply rooted in salsa and bolero, while other tracks are reminiscent of the earliest Black Midi jams. The album’s lead single, “Holy, Holy,” is a Steely Dan-esque fusion rock track that is still completely “Greep.” Over 20 musicians play on the 11 tracks, including Black Midi drummer Morgan Simpson and keyboardist Seth Evans, creating a full, layered sound throughout. Greep’s creativity explodes in his solo effort, which is apparent in all aspects of the album. Lyrically, the album is even more complex, poetic, and vulgar than its predecessors. Greep’s characteristic “geographically unclassifiable” (according to The Guardian) voice shines with stellar vocal performances. The improvisational aspects of early Black Midi return, with extended jams and an instrumental title track. Greep’s biting electric guitar sound takes center stage across the tracklist, including an electrifying guitar solo capping off “As If Waltz” that would make David Gilmour proud. While there are many chaotic and high-energy moments, Greep’s arrangements also manage to be genuinely beautiful, such as with the emotional “The Magician.” The striking melodies and rich instrumental palettes of the “New Sound,” touted by this album’s title, hook the listener from the start, culminating in one of the most thorough and enjoyable rock projects of the year and a triumph of Geordie’s sound and influences.
The New Sound is just as boundary-pushing with its music as it is with its narrative. In an interview with DIY, Greep stated this album is about desperation, “someone who is kidding themselves that they have everything under control, but they don’t.” The story follows a protagonist who wishes to portray a hyper-confident image to the world, but on the inside, he is weak and desperate for attention. No song exemplifies this theme better than the single, “Holy, Holy,” in which the narrator attempts to seduce a woman by talking about his fantastic reputation and sexual prowess, yet we soon learn that this woman is really a sex worker whom he is paying in order to make himself appear charismatic and charming. On later tracks, such as “Through a War,” the narrator begins to idolize this sex worker whilst boasting of impossible accomplishments. Cracks in his shallow exterior begin to appear with “Motorbike,” a track featuring Seth Evans on vocals, in which a man experiencing a midlife crisis leaves his family on a motorbike. The album’s climax is the expansive, 12-minute “The Magician.” This song is the narrator’s mental breakdown, as he realizes he truly doesn’t know anything about this sex worker, and the life he fabricated isn’t real. The song crescendos then halts into complete silence as the narrator has a sobering realization: “I know only your name.” This narrator has built up so many walls between himself and his image that he is forced to live in a dream instead of face reality.
As Geordie explores this new stage of his career, he must decide how he wants the world to view him. In creating The New Sound, Geordie heeds the cautionary tale of the album’s narrative; he is no one but unapologetically himself. From such an unorthodox story comes an uplifting lesson: the best way to present ourselves is to be sincerely us.
Favorite Tracks: “Holy, Holy,” “The Magician,” “As If Waltz,” “Blues”
Rating: INDY
Elliot Anderson is a first-year in the College majoring in Biology and minoring in Greepology.
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