For those looking for a indie campfire sing-along, I give you Team Genius, who released the Hooray EP earlier this year and have now put out a full length CD. If you are into funky falsettos, blissful choruses, tonal experiments of some fairly primitive music, you’ll have a lot of fun with this group. But that doesn’t mean they don’t create some addictive pop too. Team Genius provides irreverent indie pop for the ipod generation. The opener “Take Me Home” showcases it’s strength in melody and instrumental skill similar to Matt Mahaffey (Self). This is followed by the GBV-like “Surely The Sun Will Explode” another excellent pop song that weaves together vocals of Drew Hermiller and Emma Firth. It then plays a catchy campfire sing-along with “Sing Song” with a strained shout of vocals that reminds me of the Proclaimers at a forest jamboree. “The Wise Ones All Give Up” is almost like a Talking Heads tune, and a few other tracks merit a listen but the album runs out of gas slightly by the end. The group is really close to breaking through, but some songs are quirky beyond accessibility. The band’s strength is it’s geek bravado and diverse use of instruments (cello, ukulele, harmonica, bells, percussion) as well as Firths angelic vocals. Fans of Magnetic Fields, Talking Heads, and newer Brooklyn quirky pop will love this one. Others would be advised to jump in the pool as well. The water’s fine.
Team Genius Website | CD Baby
Listen to the “Sing Song”