Brisbane outfit Hey Geronimo have just dropped their debut album Crashing Into The Sun, and it’s one serious game changer.
Let Hey Geronimo take you back to the sing-along tunes of your childhood with 60s inspired LP, Crashing Into The Sun
Stellar single Why Don’t We Do Something received much hail, and praise in 2012, and their 2015 single Carbon Affair reassured fans that Hey Geronimo are no one-hit-wonders. So, after a few challenges, they have gotten their shit together, and assured us that they’re ‘not fucking around’.
The opening of the album is super strong. Millions of Miles is an intriguing intro track that borrows a bit of early Gypsy and the Cat’s galactic, ethereal sound. It then sets of speeding with the second track and single, Lazer Gun Show.
This one is a full on summer tune. Get the esky, throw on some thongs and cosies, grab the cricket gear, head down to the beach, and crack open a (very illegal) beer. Cos mate, even though it’s winter right now, it will be summer in your ears.
Showing no signs of slowing down, Hey Geronimo plough through some hard, and fast jams until track five, Bermuda. This one slows down a bit, and the melody emulates a light breeze. Light and breezy as it is, the chromatic climb in the harmony during the chorus adds that extra bit that takes the song into a direction you might not expect.
The second half of the album is by far my favourite. It slaps together tunes that range from 60s rock n’ roll, to what could be described as a song written for kids on how to not mess up their lives. It’s a rollercoaster of tunes that aptly finished with an acoustic jam to round it off.
The Girl Who Likes Me is so post-LSD Lennon, and McCartney it’s uncanny. The simpler melody that’s sung by multiple voices in unison, the added major harmonies in the chorus, and with a light dusting of early electro synth on top, you have what can only be labeled as ‘Neo-Beatles’, a little revival of the pioneers of rock. And that’s not where the comparison stops.
The following song One Way Driver hits the next level. Think of For The Benefit of Mr Kite and Maxwell’s Silver Hammer smooshed together. The combination of classic Beatles-styled backing vocals, flutes, and synth will take you to a 60s dance where everyone has dropped a bit of acid.
A highlight would be Bake a Cake, and purely for nostalgic reasons. A way to characterise this song would be an intense combination of a song for children, teaching them about how to move on from your mistakes – ‘You gotta bake a cake from your mistakes you make’, and just a classic indie tune.
It’s cheeky, and playful and will take you back to all those little rhymes you once sang at the top of your lungs as a kid. My favourite being the flashback (to the present actually, cos I still sing this all the time) ‘find a penny, pick it up, all day you have good luck’.
Overall, the collection of tunes on this one are solid. They each have a very distinct sound, and nature to them.
Whether it’s bringing the ghosts of the past to life, or adding a bit of dysmorphic grunge, each song can stand well on their own. As an album, there are some inconsistencies. This may be credited to the collaboration of many different songwriters over the years, and finding a stable line-up.
It’s hard to find that balance between writing styles to create a seamless and almost timeless sound of a band – even the Beatles sometimes struggled.
