image courtesy of Steve Geraci
EP Review of Steve Geraci: There Goes the Neighborhood
Last year, I reviewed “Voice in My Head,” the lead single from Steve Geraci‘s 4-song EP, There Goes the Neighborhood; the EP was released in its entirety early this year. The 4 tracks are an eclectic mix of throwback, ’70s and early ’80s-influenced rock ‘n roll, occasionally gritty, often a little experimental, and always interesting, entertaining, and original. Most of all, on There Goes the Neighborhood, Geraci tries to keep the listener on edge, as the lyrics, instrumentation, and composition are all designed to produce an uneasiness, even as the end result is a raucous, fun alt-rock/garage rock listen.
The first song, the title track “There Goes the Neighborhood,” is probably the most commercially viable of the collection, with a melodious tunefulness in the verses and the chorus. Geraci’s rough, hoarse-ish rock ‘n roll voice adds both alt-rock street cred and a thoughtful intensity to the vocals, as the lyrics are an ode – no, what’s the opposite of an ode? a warning? – to living beyond one’s means, focusing primarily on the moment it all comes crashing down. But, you know, in a catchy, singalong kind of way. Indeed, the whole EP is solid, but this is the breakout song on the record, the most likely to appeal to the broadest swath of fans.
photo by Jennifer Geraci; photo courtesy of Knyvet
It’s followed by kind-of-funky alt-rocker “Voice in My Head,” another relatively catchy song. Then “Paradise Lost,” which incorporates some cool, soulful saxwork to add some smoothness to the otherwise edgy number, though even the sax is a little abrupt, befitting the song’s lyrics and somewhat matching Geraci’s vocal delivery.
Finally, “Save Yourself,” after a distortedly bluesy-rockin’ opening guitar and drum exchange, settles into its garage rock style, with a steady rhythm driving the listener to sway along.
In the end There Goes the Neighborhood is a must-hear for garage rock/alt-rock fans, especially if you enjoy the kind of music you’d have heard in college dive bars in the ’70s or ’80s, rough-edged, thoughtful, and topical, where the music and the lyrics go hand in hand stylistically.
image courtesy of Steve Geraci
Single Review of “Top Shelf People”
Just recently, on October 9, Geraci released a new single, “Top Shelf People.” It’s kind of a scatty, jazzy number, very much not what I was expecting, with lots of open space, vocals that are more frantic than frenetic, mostly just riffing that almost seems random, at times, though it all comes together; the listener will be able to piece it all together by the end. So what would I call the musical style? Experimental alt-jazz, I suppose.
Topically, Geraci’s website does a good job describing what the song is about, those absolutely worthwhile friends and acquaintances. The truly good ones. The top shelf people.
In the grand scheme of things, “Top Shelf People” sounds exactly like and not at all like a Steve Geraci number, both at the same time. It doesn’t have the rock ‘n roll edge you’ve come to expect, but it experiments with sounds and arrangements, as Geraci is generally wont to do.
