top of page
HM LOGO 2.jpeg

Geordie Greep share's The New Sound

Updated: Oct 15, 2024

Words by Charlotte Foulkes 


Rising from the ashes of the disbanded black midi is The New Sound, Geordie Greep’s latest musical venture. Although the title is audacious, Greep’s unorthodox musical approach results in an album that can genuinely be described as ‘new’ - one that requires the listener to expect the unexpected.


Credit: Yis Kid


During his stint as the frontman of critically acclaimed (yet polarising) Black Midi, he astonishingly found time to develop his own sound through sessions with over thirty musicians on opposite sides of the world. He recorded with longtime collaborators in London, including Seth Evans and black midi’s Morgan Simpson, as well as session musicians in São Paulo whom he had never met before recording. His experimental methods yield a virtuosic amalgam of influences, ranging from samba tracks like Terra to Steely Dan-infused Through a War, along with the abrasive echoes of the black midi era in Blues, culminating in the epic The Magician. At first listen, it seems like an overwhelmingly discordant jumble of sonic ideas; nonetheless, it commands attention and insight. Geordie Greep further proves himself as a one-of-a-kind storyteller in The New Sound. Although black midi albums like Hellfire are rich in narrative, The New Sound offers a depth of meaning that feels more profound. He is an eccentric bard of sorts, telling cautionary tales and fables of love, sex, and masculinity, all soundtracked by unexpected twists of sound.

 

He lulls us into a false sense of security with Blues – it's rapid guitar riffs and Morgan’s rousing drums seem far too reminiscent of black midi to constitute a “New Sound’. It merges vigorous, roaring narration amongst frenetic, proggy rhythms and unbridled orchestration, featuring lyrics that resemble the threatening ramblings of a madman: “Soon your organs will grow little mouths, And speak for themselves”. Extremely climactic (and quite stressful!) for an album opener…


 I’m really bloody bored of listening to music and, for better or worse, knowing in advance what it means or what it’s trying to do. - Georgie Greep

This discomfort is quickly alleviated as we jump into the Brazilian Groove of Terra. The gentle samba vamp on the guitar underscores the details of a “museum of human suffering”, a stark juxtaposition. Ascending horn flourishes and coy synth licks accompany his discussion of  “Victims of drought, and famine, fetuses abandonеd”. The gory lyrics and lively groove forces the listener to negotiate between pleasure and disgust. The ending asks for his bones to be dug up and a flute drilled out of them, followed by a piano embellishment and a giggle. 


The lead single of the album Holy, Holy follows, also polarising among fans at the time of release. The track blends musical styles in a more complex way than the others, energetically too. The themes summarise the album’s motifs of masculinity and add clearer understanding of the narrator’s boisterous Casanova image. The lyrics at times are jarring, crude, and cheeky “I want you to be dressed like a sophisticated tart”. Though his persona is shattered as he asks “how much will that cost?” - revealing the pitiful reality for the character that pays to overcompensate for his shortcomings with women. His demands later reduce to merely a lost look or a hand on the knee, sung theatrically with overlaid harmonies and growing instrumentals, evoking sympathy for the insecure man who craves just a moment of intimacy.  The mood swiftly shifts with the title track The New Sound, bursting forth into an abrupt samba with ascending chord progressions and uptempo percussion. While this shows off the avant-garde musicality of Greep and the accompanying musicians, the intense jazz-fusion lands much more like a Mario-Kart soundtrack, and seems like a throwaway jam. I was expecting slightly more substance for the titular piece. 



Walk Up pays homage to the old band - reworking an unreleased black midi track named ‘Lumps’, and harking back to their Hellfire era. It tackles the unglamorous world of sex, and men who pay for it: a businessman who “walks up to love on [his] lunch break”, and the unpleasantries of “itches” and “lumps” and “scars”. An overwhelming sonic assault follows, with elaborate saxophone and aggressive vocals.  Through A War commands attention with military horns, then Latin flourishes which diminish for Greep’s broadway-style singing. He tells the eccentric wartime tale of a man who “ruled with an iron fist”, torturing insurgents - but who was obsessed with a woman (“I would have disemboweled myself just to hold your hand”). This song is full of ascending jazz-fusion and riffs that grow more dissonant as the lyrics descend into absurdity “have you seen a woman give birth to a goat?”. 


Bongo Season is a jazzy tune with gentle guitar runs - though two and a half minutes seems like a brief interlude considering the others have all been double! It fades out and Motorbike ensues - this time with the fresh voice of Seth Evans, also the producer of the album. His deep voice sings of a man leaving his marriage after a moment of realisation, desperate for a motorbike to flee from his unhappy situation. The instruments grow louder and faster, with the intensity of a frantic chase which descends into musical chaos. Evans makes a strong contribution to the album, clearly fitting the role of a longtime collaborator with Greep.


As if Waltz is another story of a man yearning for a deeper relationship with a sex worker. The gentle string arrangements long for the mundane moments of love - he wants to see her “without makeup on”, “hear [her] true voice”. A strong beat kicks in as these desires continue, flip between sexual, patronising, and back to sweet. It shows a man who wants true connection, but can’t escape the shame, stigma and inherent misogyny he speaks about. The song concludes with a satirical claim of being “different than the rest,” though his intentions may not be as sincere as he believes.


The penultimate track, The Magician, stands as the album’s 12-minute gut-wrenching magnum opus. The gentle lulls of the guitar set the stage for the narrator’s soliloquy, a self-reflection on consequences, failed relationships, perversion, and nihilism. It is littered with poignant metaphors of dying love and feeling trapped, repeatedly questioning “what’s left?”. The despairing man incessantly lists all he is hiding from (“I’m hiding from living, I’m hiding from everything”). The admittance of vulnerability and candour sets this song apart from the other portrayals of his masculinity - this one is purely heartbreaking. There’s hardly another way to describe this song apart from emotive, and worthy of a few listens. 



ALBUM TRACKLISTING

1.Blues

2.Terra

3.Holy, Holy

4.The New Sound

5.Walk Up

6.Through A War

7.Bongo Season

8.Motorbike

9.As If Waltz


He ends with a Sinatra cover, If You Are But a Dream. A slight change of pace - however truly reflects Geordie Greeps eccentricity. While previously a romantic ode, it seems more sinister in this context, where the preceding song discusses the woman as ‘not real’. Whatever the intention, it only further portrays his versatility, and rounds off the album nicely.   


Overall, this album provides a winding journey through various time periods, countries, emotions, and musical landscapes, between heaven and hell. The most remarkable aspect of this album lies in Greep’s storytelling - from completely abstract metaphors to explicit references, he weaves a poignant story that is absurd at best of times. It first seemed like a misogynistic alter-ego, but the satire became evident as he further commented on the crisis of masculinity faced by the narrators, crumbling with desperation. Musically, his daring to experiment absolutely pays off and (most times) the random pairings of styles feel purposeful and well-executed. This is even more apparent live - having had the pleasure to see him conduct improv jams and long interludes with the group of talented musicians surrounding him. While it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, his musical capabilities are undeniable - it is by no means an over-confident stretch to call this a ‘New Sound’.


 

Geordie Greep Live:


Wed-Aug-21 – Map Studios, London – (Sold Out)

Fri-Aug-23 - Map Studios, London – (Sold Out)

Fri-Aug-30 - Brighton Psych Fest @ Concorde 2, Brighton

Sat-Aug-31 - Manchester Psych Fest @ Gorilla, Manchester

Tue-Sep-10 - Brooklyn,NY Union Pool (Sold Out)

Wed-Sep-11 - New York,NY Nublu

Thu-Sep-12 - Brooklyn,NY TV Eye

Fri-Sep-13 - Brooklyn,NY Sultan Room

Thu-Sept-19 - Reeperbahn Festival @ Knust, Hamburg

Thur-Oct-10 - Llais Festival @ WMC (w/ Squid), Cardiff

Sat-Oct-19 - Isolation Festival, Budapest

Tue-Oct-22 - Fleece, Bristol

Wed-Oct-23 - The Cornish Bank, Falmouth

Fri-Oct-25 - Storey's Field Centre, Cambridge

Sat-Oct-26 - Arts Club, Liverpool

Sun-Oct-27 - Classic Grand, Glasgow

Mon-Oct-28 - The Cluny, Newcastle

Tue-Oct-29 - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Wed-Oct-30 - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham


Fri-Nov-01 - Les Nuits Botanique Weekender @ Orangerie, Brussels

Sat-Nov-09 - Pitchfork Festival @ EartH, London

Tue-Dec-03 - Point Ephemere, Paris

Thu-Dec-05 - Lido, Berlin

Fri-Dec-06 - Bitterzoet, Amsterdam

Sat-Dec-07 - Doornroosje, Nijmegen

Mon-Dec-09 - Magnolia, Milan

Tue-Dec-10 - Bad Bonn, Düdingen

Fri-Jan-17 - Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's

Sat-Jan-18 - Baltimore, MD Ottobar

Sun-Jan-19 - Raleigh, NC Kings

Tue-Jan-21 - Asheville, NC Eulogy

Wed-Jan-22 - Atlanta, GA The Earl

Fri-Jan-24 - Nashville, TN The Blue Room

Sat-Jan-25 - St Louis, MO Off Broadway

Mon-Jan-27 - Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry

Tue-Jan-28 - Madison, WI High Noon Saloon 

Fri-Jan-31 - Chicago, IL The Empty Bottle

Sat-Feb-01 - Kalamazoo, MI Bell's Eccentric Cafe

Mon-Feb-03 - Toronto, ON Velvet Underground

Wed-Feb-05 - Montreal, QC Bar Le Ritz

Thu-Feb-06 - Brattleboro, VT The Stone Church

Fri-Feb-07 - Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall





Follow Geordie Greep:


X | IG


0 comments

Comments


bottom of page