When a promotional blurb suggests an artist is influenced by music as diverse as The Police, DJ Shadow and Claude Debussy, it’s hard to know what to expect. Is this record label hype? Is it a case of a performer clutching at straws, hoping that something will attract the potential listener? When it comes to singer songwriter Joe Geni, such wild claims…really aren’t so wild. His 2021 album ‘Doggerland’ offers a mad hybrid sound where the mood lurches all over the place. Just exploring the track ‘Superbloom’ in isolation, Geni takes the light Afro rhythms of Peter Gabriel tunes like ‘Mercy Street’ and fuses them with a bit of electronica, then adds a huge vocal that occasionally sounds like something David MacAlmont would turn into an absolute showstopper. Then, there’s the lengthy ‘Eyes Like The Ocean’ which bends what would’ve been a great pop-rock sound – akin to a moody deep cut from Sting – and adorns that with an almost trip-hop like atmosphere.
Tag Archives: singer songwriter
CHEN FIRSEL – Believe In The Ending Of The War EP
Chen Firsel’s ‘Believe In The Ending of The War’ is more than just an EP. It’s a three track “song cycle” that sends a message to the world, straight from the heart of Israel.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #72
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the previous few weeks. This time around, we bring you a superb light indie track, a really intense slab of metal, an 80s star continuing to forge ahead with a solo career, and more besides. As always, the SB continues to mix future classics with the unexpected, and we hope you’ll find something new to enjoy…
*
FEDERALE – Reverb & Seduction
Coming four years after ‘No Justice’, the world was overdue a new Federale album at the time of this release, but ‘Reverb & Seduction’ isn’t “just another Federale disc”. In the words of main man Collin Hegna, the album is “the culmination of 20 years of sonic exploration” and an attempt to bring all of Federale’s eclectic moods and influences together in one package. The result is an eclectic treat, with elements of Spaghetti Western soundtracks, indie, rock, cosmic country and dark singer songwriter moods all jostling for the listener’s attention, and without any one of those styles becoming a particular, dominant force.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #70
Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the past few weeks. It’s a proper mixed bag this week, with the return of a multi-million selling singer songwriter, who is contrasted by a sharp edged alternative metal track; something that leans towards country rock, the return of a favourite pop vocalist and more besides…
*