Roman Revolutionaries: Beach Day is a new album from Los Angeles artist and all around creative mogul, Brad Geiger. This eclectic release blends elements of multiple genres to create a collage-like, avant garde tour de force. Songs like Say and Elapses give off organic and powerfully neo-psychedelic vibes. Musically the sound is mildly reminiscent of indie rock experimentalists like “Of Montreal,” though the ambiance here is a little more raw (though that’s what happens when you’re not backed by a major label). Far from being minimalistic, the tracks on this album manage to condense a lot of unique sounds, the result being a strangely cohesive energy, often reminding me of 60’s classics like Defecting Grey from The Pretty Things. A more contemporary comparison would be some of the lo-fi indie projects that came out of Portland and Olympia (before the scene became cliche.)
Brad’s vocals seem to be built for indie and just seem to have that natural indie pop tone. They are usually subdued in the mix, audible and enjoyable but not placed at the forefront. The focus here is typically on the instrumentals, which are loud, melodic and strangely danceable. Synth elements and cool, retro noise samples give some of these recordings an almost new wave feel. Other jams like Waking have more of a 90’s alternative, pop punk aesthetic, reminiscent of groups like The Smoking Pokes. Now that I think about it, Geiger’s voice sounds a lot like the singer from that band (which I suppose is a pretty good compliment). I honestly love the production on this album. It sounds very analog and is mixed in a way which highlights the artistic qualities, and overall it’s just very pleasing to the ear…especially when one considers all the potentially abrasive experimental elements being thrown into the mix to spice things up. Brad isn’t afraid to make bold creative choices and is willing to risk ruining a song to add some interesting ingredient or musical afterthought. In every case here, it pays off. At 14 songs, jam packed with passion and humble talent, this is a full length album in every sense. No ego, no posturing or empty hype to get in the way. Some good stuff here, folks. It’s real.
Fore more info:
http://www.bradgeigermusic.com
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/brad-geiger/1355457977
