“Why does Geordie Greep sound like that?”
It’s the first question at the top of the “People also ask” section on Google, but it’s unsurprising. The frontman and resident weirdo of experimental rock group black midi, is famous for an accent that can’t be placed in any known locale.
Meshing math rock time signatures and jazz-inflected chord changes with exciting genre experimentation and a Sinatra-esque vocal sensibility, black midi excited listeners with three well-received albums from 2019 to 2022, before unexpectedly calling it quits in August.
Many die-hard fans were anxious about the future of the band’s members, but Greep finally took the next step with the release of his debut album on Friday.
The New Sound is a step in a new direction — it mixes black midi’s distinct sound with new sonic influences.
The album opens with its second single “Blues,” a cavorting romp marked by a pressing guitar line that seems to interrogate the listener into submission.
[‘Joker: Folie a Deux’ is a divisive, musical whirlwind]
Steely Dan’s influence is everywhere, specifically through the sound curated by the jazz-rock band on its fifth album, The Royal Scam.
It’s incessant, it’s driving and it’s very, very groovy. Greep’s songwriting is accusatory, not unlike The Royal Scam song “Everything You Did,” which angrily indicts the listener for their phony ways and inflated sense of self. Building toward a wild peak, the track touches off like a powder keg and explodes.
It’s an implacable ribbon of sound that satisfies with gripping guitar tones and an array of disorienting noises.
On the next track, “Terra,” Greep’s new sound is even more apparent, featuring a shuffling Brazilian rhythm and gorgeous acoustic guitar riffs as we comedown from “Blues.” Here, his distinct singing style feels most at home, as a relaxed tune allows him to soar on punctuating horns and chiptune synths.
For Greep, it’s evident that he feels perfectly at home working within these impressive new territories complete with respect for their master practitioners.
The lead single, “Holy, Holy,” brings the energy back up to speed, swinging right out of the gate with hard-edged drilling chords. It then sends the listener bopping along with a wailing guitar solo and shimmering jazz chords.
It’s noisy jazz-rock at its best, and Greep is a delightfully strange “holy” protagonist. He screams and shouts with the intense wall of sound that twists down different musical avenues. It’s all over the place, and it’s phenomenal.
[Charli xcx declared the end of Brat summer. It’s still going anyway]
Other highlights are “Walk Up,” a studio version of the silly black midi live track “Lumps” that will surely delight superfans of the band, and “As if Waltz,” which is only temporarily a waltz when it’s not clattering about in 4/4.
The music can be overwhelming at first, especially for first-time listeners, but repeated listens reveal hidden elements that might be missed at first. It’s astonishing how much ground The New Sound covers — try picking out an instrument in the mix and see where it goes.
Hugely recommended to those looking to get into black midi or experimental rock, The New Sound is a stellar debut and a landmark for what’s to come in the talented Greep’s future.
