What a huge sound! Of course, you'd expect nothing less from Genevieve,
whose production credits are starting to overtake the string of indie releases
in which she's been involved in over the past couple of decades. Add the
fact that she's also making the majority of the sounds on Ghost Notes and
you have not only an impressive but extremely accomplished debut solo album.
The question then has to be, why is such an obviously gifted singer and
songwriter still sitting outside a mainstream which is simply begging for
powerful, melodic pop/rock songs and beautifully crafted ballads? Aurora
Borealis for instance is your perfect sad summer love song. Someone
should get it onto the season finale of Dawson's Creek or something
and make Genevieve the fortune she's long deserved.
But we're not working in an industry that necessarily rewards creativity
or craftspersonship, are we? So instead Genevieve sits in Newtown making
perfect pop records with a few likeminded friends like drummers Dave Aston
and Brian Cachia, who share the load across the 11 songs on Ghost Notes,
and bass plaer Mary-Anne Cornford, or Stella One Eleven colleague Cindy
Ryan on backing vocals. In fact, on the gorgeous Bulletproof, Genevieve
seems to have half Sydney's indie artists joining her as The Marrickvilla
Spackfilla Choir, including a couple of Hayes brothers, Suzi Goodwin and
Jill Adams. Now to try and get the message across to not just the rest
of Sydney but beyond.
For a start, opening cut Jackie In The Morning should be top of
the local indie singles charts. Again, perfect power pop, clever lyrics,
not pushing the message too hard but making its point about a pointless
relationship. Steer Clear, neat, clean, articulate acousitc pop.
Daze, all down and dirty and distorted chorus contrasting a gloriously
desolate verse. You can really feel the ache. And that's what a the best
songs should do, make you feel it, whatever it might be. Even a
bit spooky, with Fifteen Letters, but you can also really feel it.
Intelligent pop for the thinking punter. I know you're out there. |
