Has the monotony of modern music got you down? Are you mad that Jim Morrison never read his poetry during any of The Doors Songs? Do you wish you could have no idea what you’re listening to but still enjoy it nonetheless? Then The New Sound, the first solo album from Black Midi frontman Geordie Greep since the dissolution of the band, might be the album you are looking for. This album may have just hit listeners’ ears two weeks ago, October 4th more specifically, but it didn’t take that long for it to enter my own personal rotation.
From the opening track “Blues”, the album is swift in showing off its mix progressive, jazz, and Latin rock. The hectic drums swiftly pull the listener into the chaos that they’re soon will be entering by listening to this album. Other standouts include songs like “Holy, Holy”, the first single from this album that was released all the way back in August, right when this album was announced. The guitar comes in swiftly like a bullet, piercing the minds of those who dared to put this track on. Even at six minutes in length, I would attest that this is arguably the most accessible track from this album, even if the spoken lyrics from Geordie Greep are a disorienting experience to acclimate to. However, where you find the most complex track is where you’ll also find the best. I am referring to “The Magician”, a twelve-minute behemoth of an auditory experience. In that time span, the listener gets whisked between triumphant, almost orchestral, sound and contemplative lyrics, crying out to the skies about what is left and where we all end up. A song of the year contender in its own right, what is achieved in only twelve minutes is nothing short of mind boggling.
As someone who tends to regard most albums as enjoyable, yet brief, experiences, this album has been nothing short of a truly pivotal collection of songs in my time as a listener of music. Just one of these songs would uplift most mediocre albums, but the fact that these are all collected together like this is nothing short of spectacular. If there is only one album you decide to listen to this year, The New Sound is likely one of the best choices you can make. The only question now is: what comes next?