Partisan Records releases Projector, the debut album by genre-straddling Brooklyn band Geese. It was written, produced and recorded during their junior and senior years of high school in ‘The Nest’ – their basement home studio. The line-up is singer/songwriter Cameron Winter, guitarist Gus Green, guitarist Foster Hudson, bassist Dom DiGesu, and drummer Max Bassin. The album was produced by Dan Carey (Squid, black midi, Fontaines D.C.), and emerges teenage anxiety and frustration of life with a ‘wall-of-sound immediacy and looseness’. So, that’s play whatever comes into your head then! The music is described as curiously alien, yet strangely familiar. The release is available on vinyl, CD, and for download...

'Rain Dance' is basic stuff, with sung monotones and trebly twanging on the guitars. Towards the end the sound does warm somewhat. 'Low Era' has much more of a tune to the vocals, the guitars creating a better but still purposefully flat arrangement. 'Fantasies/Survival' evokes more attachment to the content, introducing the song with more of a riff and a low bass driving backing. The singing is more involving and varied in tone. In fact, whilst being less than perfect, this one has the impression it would take much more rehearsal than the previous offerings. Quick break-away moments give this an enjoyable and somewhat quirky nature. 'First World Warrior' is a ballad, but with a drifting, dreamlike quality. This one has substance to it.

'Disco' is something completely different, as the saying goes. A thumping beat and ringing guitar is joined by probably the most melodic vocals so far. There’s even a stomping little tune. It’s quite changeable as well, including a change of tack before continuing on its original path. It has a psychedelic ending, as the music becomes gradually more distant and removed from reality to the point of being spacey. The title track is a moderate-paced Indie/Experimental Rock piece. A guitar rings over the top of more insistent drums and a Electronic bagpipe effect and other effects. Outright weird. 'Exploding House' recaptures the energy with drums and bass dictating the pace, before receding into a shell of uncertainty and paranoia. 'Bottle' flits between one chord structure and another; the first is a little dull, the second more of a driving force.

We end with 'Opportunity is Knocking'. The singing style, although unusual, doesn’t totally fit the music. Perhaps that’s purposeful. The verse structure in this one is reminiscent of a Pop/Rock song, but it takes an occasional left-turn. I don’t believe this is an album I will return to, but it is different and somewhat outré in places. What I appreciate is the fact new band music is continuing to come through, and that some of these emergences are playing the music they want to hear – not what they think may be commercial. Long may it continue.

5

Ty Power