I think I write about this every time I write about Geographer, but whatever, here I go again. I feel like a crazy person for liking Geographer as much as I do. More specifically, I think it’s super weird that a band that appears to be totally credible and established and cable of putting out quality recordings on major platforms gets nothing written about them on a national level. There wasn’t a review for Ghost Modern in Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, The AV Club, hell, I can’t even find a mention of this band anywhere on local mega-hip station KEXP. This shouldn’t be happening, I’m not this cool or smart. Did Geographer do some really bad shit and everyone knows about it but me? That seems the most likely explanation.
I’ve been a Geographer fan since I stumbled upon their (or his? I think it’s actually just one guy who tours with a band) cover of “Age of Consent,” the best New Order song. Then I liked their 2012 album, Myth, but couldn’t write about it because I found out about it way after 2012. I think Ghost Modern is probably in the same league, and I’ve definitely listened to it the most of all three Geographer albums. In broad strokes I’d say the first album was the electro pop one, the second was the dream pop one, and this one is the closest to indie rock, in the Arcade Fire sense. In fact, “I’m Ready” has kinda been one of my anthems this year, it’s one of those great songs that just swells up into a pretty ball of awesome. Check it out for yourself, since I know you haven’t heard it… unless you’re that soulmate of mine that actually knows this band and this album.
This is perhaps Geographer’s most sonically adventurous album yet, exploring mixes of the band’s signature synths, strings, and Mike Deni’s falsetto. It goes light, it goes dark, it goes weird (a little bit). Sometimes it’s kind of like Muse, sometimes it’s kind of like Freelance Whales, sometimes it’s like St. Vincent or The National or whatever, you know how it goes. Pretty much if you like the general vibe of the music I tend to review positively, I implore you to look up Geographer. I feel like a lone explorer out in a massive expanse here, with no one else writing or talking about this band. If only I had a map or some sort of expert on like the land and shit.
Favorite Tracks: “I’m Ready,” “The Guest,” “Falling Apart”