Posted on: December 20, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Georgie James –  Places / 2007 Saddle Creek / http://www.myspace.com/georgiejames / http://www.saddle-creek.com /

If one really thinks about it, the fact that Georgie James is currently on Saddle Creek and not Dischord is a fairly major type of thing. This is due to the fact that Georgie James is comprised of a member from Q And Not U, which were located on Dischord before their break-up. For quite a few years, pretty much any act that played around the Washington area that garnered critical acclaim worked with Dischord, and the release of “Places” on Saddle Creek shows that Dischord’s stranglehold on indie rock has decreased to the degree that Saddle Creek can coerce a band from Dischord’s back yard into signing with the label.

Diatribe aside, Saddle Creek provides this indie rock supergroup (featuring members of The Explosion, The Loved Ones, and the aforementioned Q and Not U. “Places” marks the first foray into full lengths by Georgie James, after a 7-song EP and a single whetted listeners’ appetites before then. “Look Me Up” is the first track on the “Places”, and it paints Georgie James as an act that can blend all the distinct styles of rock into one comprehensive sound. There may be a little bit more of a sixties influence than anything else during “Look Me Up”, but individuals can hear nineties alternative rock, as well as a little bit of the seventies arena rock sound present before the end of the track. “Cake Parade” keeps the same general style as was present during “Look Me Up”, but provides listeners with a slightly more intricate brand of arrangement. This bit of trickery gives the pop-infused vocals a slightly different sound, and segues quite nicely into the shifting, shambling sound of “Need Your Needs”.

 It is during “Need Your Needs” that Georgie James changes up their general sound to allow in a little bit more of a disco style, something that gives the disc a shot in the arm and allows listeners to focus in to Georgie James for that much longer. Tracks on the later reaches of “Places”, such as “You Can Have It”, show that Georgie James can continually add and modify their sound without losing the general sound that has worked for them up to that point. This first release portends great things for the band; if they can go and tighten up their sound just a little bit more, their next album will be named alongside early Weezer as being paragons of a crisp, clean pop-linked rock sound.

Top Tracks: You Can Have It, Comfortable Headphones

Rating: 7.3/10

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