Stoner Rock can be a tricky genre. It can sometimes be too drawn out or too repetitive. When it comes music by Kingston, New York rockers GEEZER though, it's anything but uninteresting. Their 4th album "Groovy" is certainly an intriguing one with mainly Psychedelic Stoner Hard Rock vibes with plenty of Blues style jam moments. Read on for a track by track rundown.
"Dig" is a cool intro track. I was certainly groovin' with the chuggy riffs accompanied with cowbell. (cue 'needs more cowbell' reference here) I like the tempo shift at the near 4 minute mark as well, it gets pretty trippy sound-wise with the key change and slow down.
"Atlas Electra" has a sludgy blues vibe throughout the song. It was a really slow track, like floating on your back in a moonlit pool, staring at the galaxies above.
"Dead Soul Scroll" begins with a super distorted synthy bit that gradually adds in a warped bass line and some wobbly guitar melodies. This song is darker than the first few, the gritty bite in
Pat's voice could figuratively turn coal into diamonds in this one.
"Awake" is so chill paired with the timely as hell lyrics. The instrumental portions, especially the solo, is distorted Blues goodness. You can truly float on the sound waves in this one.
"Groovy" is pure Psychedelic Rock that could easily have been from the 70s. The flow of the music and the dreamy distortion and reverb that envelops this track makes you wanna move and groove, just as the song says.
"Drowning on Empty" carries on the catchy, smoky melodies and chuggy riffs feel. I catch some EARTHLESS vibes in this track as well. "Slide Mountain" is a smooth and trippy number. The pool you were laying in has gone cosmic and you're instead one with the stars, staring into a swirling rainbow abyss. Something about the acid trip-like pacing and floaty sensation this song reminds me a lot of BLUE CHEER. "Black Owl" is the final portion of the trip. You're slowly coming back down to earth, the sun is rising as the swirling cosmos around you begins to fade into the vibrant colors of dawn. The atmosphere in this song paints a vibrant scene in the mind; everything from the hazy synths, the low tones that draw you back to the ground. Not to mention the whirling melodies from the guitar and bass. You can get so lost in this soundscape to the very end.
All and all, "Groovy" is exactly what the title implies; super groovy. This trippy Bluesy Stoner Hard Rock soundscape draws you into a hazy yet vibrant world with fuzzy riffs, sludgy basslines, and dreamy catchy melodies. You can easily get lost within this audible cosmic wonderland. The mass amount of distortion gives every song this smoky, floating feeling that you find yourself enjoying until the last song ends. Not to mention, all three members of the band are great musicians. It just adds to the enjoyment of the album to hear small subtleties like perfect tempo changes, excellent solos, and some neat synthy bits throughout every song. Lastly, I love how the album also gives this feeling of nostalgia, but still has this fresh feeling. There's plenty of homage to the 70s and a lot of unusual elements mixed in to keep things interesting. I'd say that's pretty groovy!
