Geometers – ‘Geometers’ EP Review
Posted: by Nick
Geometers is a name you may not know, but you soon will. This is where you start. Released via little label to watch, Jetsam-Flotsam, this self-titled EP is a proper introduction to the Brooklyn post-punk trio, characterized by their blend of old-school loud rock and earnest melodic hardcore. The urgency of this record is palpable – you can feel this band’s drive, joy, and angst all wrapped up in these songs, foreshadowing what may come on the band’s first full-length to be released later this year. Geometers wants to be your next favorite band, and after listening to this EP they very well might be.
The production on this album is stellar, especially for a debut release, and effectively conveys Geometers’ personality from the very first note. The opening track, “On My Own,” is a tight, inventive tune that will surely appeal to fans of Shiner, Failure, and some of the band’s other key influences. This song, and the record at large, is defined by rhythmically playful moments that never slide quite into the realm of the progressive. Tense guitars, driving bass, and commanding percussion provide an almost meditative foundation for the hooky, melodically gruff vocals. The band quickly prove their capacity for experimentation as well as an artful sense of restraint – an underrated quality in a band operating in this genre today. This is thoughtful punk music that casts a wide net over an array of influences and weaves them together to create a honed sound, already approaching signature.
“Title Fight” (a song with no relation to Philadelphia’s increasingly shoeward-gazing punks) is the EP’s single, an undeniably catchy anthem that builds on the personality of the first track while referencing genre tropes, building a song that is reminiscent of elder day punks who lacked the fear of being likable. The single further displays a tempered ferocity with rhythmic traces of Fugazi, though this particular influence never eclipses the band’s originality. Sparse and crucial screams and vocal harmonies further define the image of a band on a mission to please yet unwilling to compromise their darker sensibilities along the way. “This year is mine and mine alone,” are the words that open the first single from this band – as if you needed further proof that Geometers are in it to win it.
The record takes a breather with “Arp” – a somewhat sinister but effective inhale before the final track. “Sidearm” is perhaps the most aggressive moment on this EP, and shows a slightly enraged side of Geometer’s as they roll through this more kinetic tune that is, for all its voracity, engagingly melodic.
Even in its more hostile moments there is a distinct sense of fun that pervades this record. This is, in fact, the record’s most unexpected and ultimately satisfying element. These songs hit hard, strike emotional chords, and resonate on numerous levels – one of those being an unashamed sense of enjoyment. The album seethes with the pleasure that these musicians clearly have for playing their music, and never falls prey to the often-transparent masculine posturing that occurs in so much post-punk today. This feeling of mirth is contagious and, coupled with the technical ability on display, makes for a very solid introduction. It will be exciting to watch as this band continue to carve out a place for themselves and further develop their voice and explore new sonic territory.
Look out for more music from Geometers coming soon via Jetsam-Flotsam, and see them on select dates with Ishmael later this month.
Score: 8.5/10
