Like many of the better pieces of art, Oh Geronimo’s single ‘the flood’ was born out of genuine life experience. In this case, the music was the result of a real-life flood which poured into the basement bedroom of one of the band members, destroying memories and belongings in the process. What could have been a maudlin reflection, however, proves to be a rather beautiful piece of music that hits the right note of gentle reflection without coming across as overly melodramatic or sombre.
Featuring two tracks, ‘the flood’ (available digitally or as a 7” single) is a wonderful example of a band losing themselves in a perfect moment of song-writing, the music pouring fourth in a dreamy, slightly lo-fi way that recalls the bands that I spent years whiling away my youth to. With elements of R.E.M, Strangelove, Low and Neil Young showing amidst the band’s DNA, the first track has a folky spin on it that still can’t quite disguise the gorgeous pop melody that lies at its heart. With vocal harmonies delivered with warmth and subtlety, ‘the flood’ is the perfect song for a summer’s day, and it’s impossible to listen to the track without thinking of long, hot days spent outdoors with friends. It’s a gentle melancholy the band evoke, and it’s most welcome to come across a band who deal with such honest emotion in their music. The second track, ‘waves (the flood part 2)’ is no less inspiring. Drawing closer to a style of playing that has felt all too empty since R.E.M went gently into the night, Oh Geronimo juxtapose scratchy guitar with the previously noted folky elements to deliver a song that shimmers like light reflecting upon the water, and there’s a feeling of elation as the band build to a soaring crescendo with their gently fizzing guitars.
Oh Geronimo are the sort of band that, back in the nineties, I would have found on 7” in my local record shop and then treasured. Now, thanks to the ubiquity of the internet, I don’t have to travel so far, but they evoke similar memories of hidden indie bands and days spent with friends discussing the latest tracks that we had unearthed. There’s a simple charm to the music because it comes from a set of emotions that we can all relate to – loss and the discarding of memories – and it’s represented here with a clarity and honesty that many bands aspire to but fee actually realise. Listening to these two tracks was a simple pleasure and they come highly recommended.
You can find ‘the flood’ here.
