Written for Vibewire
No doubt there’s a following of Genshen fans out there who are celebrating the release of their EP Someplace Else and for those not in the know, I’m sure if I played the first track Nothing Quite Like This you’d nod your head in recognition as its been high rotation on Triple J. The four piece are currently on the label Little Big Music (home to The Frames and Eric Bibb) and this EP is a promising precursor to an album.
The four piece indie pop band have a penchant for cheesy 80s synth work, which tends to arise out of solidly structured melody based songs in which the bass carries some interesting hooks and lead singer Quentin confidently struts some New York post-punk vocals which can soar and pout all at the same time. Guitars jangle some incredibly catchy riffs and all the meanwhile they can’t help but have that synth come through once again. Genshen have been paired up with Gaslight Radio and Minimum Chips, so if you’re into those kinds of intricate pop constructions, you’ll get into this.
Their single Nothing Quite Like This is probably the most radio-friendly song off the EP, with every part acting in cohesiveness to create a dark and spacious piece of attitude, each driving bass note lying like a shadowy underbelly while the front man’s vocals oozing cool, but all the meanwhile keeping a sense of fun with a booty-shaking chorus (“nothing nothing quite like this”). A remixed version, which I could undoubtedly see being spun in the murky corners of a poky inner-city venue with a fondness for 80s electro and 90s indie, not to mention girls with severe haircuts and boys in “The Smiths” t-shirts, sits on the tail end of the CD.
For me, Don’t Believe sees the synth come into prominence a few times when it really could have been left as another indistinct (but texture building) layer instead of a more obvious attempt to maintain their pop sensibilities. Meanwhile, Save My Fortune, Sundial and Springtime sees a more mellow Genshen come out, not indistinct from the sonic sounds of Decoder Ring and Full Fathom Five. It hints at there ability to create an intriguingly rich soundscape evocative with mood without being alienating.
Track Listings:
1 – Nothing Quite Like This
2 – Don’t Believe
3 – Save My Fortune
4 – Sundial
5 – Springtime
6 – Nothing Quite Like This (Dance Remix)
