Like The Standing Still - The Charmer Under Me
Michigan is a treasure trove of hidden talent and I’m constantly searching for people to elevate, with what little platform I have in the region. On the face of it, most people just think “Detroit” and stop looking, understandably so considering the historic level of influential talent and immensely popular genres that have been nurtured in that city (Motown, jazz, blues, electronic music, etc). Many people around the state make great music, and some carve out the brightest diamonds with their careful attention to production, arranging, recording, and performing. One such artist is Geoffrey Brown, a name that can confidently be added to the list of thoughtful artists and engineers working in the Detroit scene. He recently put out an album under The Charmer Under Me that is densely packed with personality from start to finish. It is unlike anything I’ve reviewed before and I’m using first person in spots in this review to geek out about the music, because it’s like a sonic candy store that is filled with delicious morsels of music. If you had expectations for what Like The Standing Still sounds like, they will all be exceeded by the end of your listening experience.
Kicking off the record, “In The Water Still” expresses a noise-sprinkled, Talking Heads-style rock tune with a blend of weird synth sounds and whirly guitar tones. These walls of sound give way to a driving rock pulse that makes for an exciting place to start the record. “Floored” carries that energy into a math-rock vibe permeated by a near constant stream of layered vocals, with the guitars panning from left-to-right to add to a swirling effect. “Who” starts off more tame with an arpeggiated synth to latch on to, but it slowly builds around the pulse with smaller motifs to a huge sound that feels like being submerged in a loop station centered around the band. “Almost” has an angular-yet-tuneful riff that grounds the surrounding psychedelic textures and samples until they eventually obscure the groove in a washy synth sound that feels like brushed percussion arpeggios. “Within the Bound” starts with a synth that is reminiscent of eerie, old-school alien movies, with vocals soaring over a hypnotic rock beat. Gritty sounds surround echoed speech, overdriven synths make up noise clusters, all exploding back into the opening siren before being stripped down to a sliding guitar riff and manipulated loops that flow back into the groove.
“Like Driving Away” has a catchy melody that accents a driving pulse with some wonderful distorted bass and warbly guitars, swirling delay textures in the background, crazy synths, all combining into an expressive artistic frosting of a flavorful rock groove cake (this song makes me want to be in the live band, so fun!). The lyrics “and waiting for something to happen” are a great way to set up the next tune! “Certainty” builds on WIDE open spaces with vocals and synths, lush, effected chords, a lone trumpet singing overtop, and expressionistic/improvisatory acoustic instruments set against a canvas of synthesizers that elicits an obligatory “WOO!” from the jazz crowd. “Moment” is Heavy Riff City! It’s a 300 story building built on punchy riffs and spacey soundscapes. “127 GBH” follows this titan of a tune with stuttering, fuzzy, filtered sounds that feel like a radio broadcast before morphing back into the previously heard siren and a noisecore laser outro. “Forgetting” feels like you just had a eucalyptus bath wash over you after such intense heat from the previous tracks. The guitar tones are so expansive and the environment feels like a fast drive through the desert - simmering fire all around but a cooling breeze to keep you enjoying every moment. The tune ends with improvisatory drums as the rest of the track fades away, leaving the listener settled after such an exploratory journey.
If it took until my review (granted, months later) to check Like The Standing Still, let this be an invitation! Geoff Brown can be heard on a lot of projects between his musicianship and producer’s ears/techniques (including the previously reviewed album from Say Less), but to hear him on this record highlights his personality that delights in sonic exploration and crafting wonderfully distinct moments. Check out the links below alongside the album credits, it’s filled with great players that shine throughout this release, and keep an eye on future albums from this guy!
Support Geoff Brown!
Website: https://www.geoffreybrownproduction.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geoffalib/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geoffbrownonline/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ASeVhn58tOkr1vGf5mVyh?si=VEK_xsIkSkOao_sO62ms1w Bandcamp: https://thecharmerunderme.bandcamp.com/
Album Notes/Credits:
A sprawling, overwrought studio project, Like The Standing Still showcases a kaleidoscope of influence, references, and oddball chaos from Detroit musician and producer Geoffrey Brown. A longtime engineer, studio dog, and hired gun, Brown employs super secret skills obtained from working with local artists Big Vic, Eight Carl, Lily Talmers & The Ypsilanti Goddam, and Sabbatical Bob to craft something in between and outside notions of shoegaze, krautrock, dub, noise rock, and ambient music.
While most of the record sees Brown performing every instrument, it features some notable and essential guests: David Ward (drums), Jordan Anderson (organ), and Ben Green (trumpet) during the latter half. Heavy Motorik grooves are accentuated with nodding, hypnotic vocal patterns, dubbed-out guitars, freaky synths, and left-field song structures. The music jumps between disparate idioms at will and without warning. Angularity ebbs and flows.
Like The Standing Still builds and erodes walls of sound, sometimes combusting into harsh noise, sometimes shattering into something beautiful - but never quite getting there. It’s dense, repetitive, and unpredictable. For as few aesthetic similarities as the two share, The Charmer Under Me’s Steely Dan-derived namesake is not coincidental.
Personnel:
Geoffrey Brown - songs, vocals, guitar, lap steel, bass, drums, keys, synths, no-input mixer, feedback, dub, production, mix
David Ward - drums, percussion (6)
Ben Green - trumpet (7)
Jordan Anderson - organ (6)
Adam Siismets - shrieks (9)
Kate Derringer - mastering
Recorded at Shmongo House, Ann Arbor, MI, Luc James Music Studio, Grand Rapids, MI, and Mouse House, Ypsilanti, MI.
Click the album art to check out the record!
Click the image for Geoff Brown’s website!