They said that Icarus perished as he flew too close to the sun. OK, let’s track back a bit. It’s rumoured that in ancient Greece Icarus wanted to fly. He crafted some wings, held together with wax, and was able to fly. As he soared higher and higher toward the sun the wax started to melt, the feathers fell out and he, well, plummeted to the ground. I expect you are wondering that this has to do with the new release by Montreal based electronic-pop producer Geoffroy? The answer is plenty.
On his new album 1952’ Geoffroy uses motifs from chillwave and downtempo electronica, but adds to it flourishes that wouldn’t be out of place on a Cut Copy, Hot Chip or Fakear album. He flies close enough to these buzz genres to get some traction before they become too hot, implode and take everyone attached to them with them. Look what happened to Dubstep and Witch House…
But I digress, Geoffroy has created something that feels personal. And personal the album is. Written after his mother died of breast cancer in 2017, ‘1952’ is a celebration of her life and their time together. Instead of mournful ballads, Geoffroy uses euphoric synths with his unique lilting vocals to create an album that offers a message of hope. ‘By the Water’ is one of the standout moments that builds on a vulnerable vocal delivery with ascending synths, guitars and skittering percussion to create something that Imogen Heap would be proud of.
‘1952’ is an album full of solid productions and breathy vocals. It’s an album that grows on you each time you play it. If you didn’t like a song first time around, by the third you are singing along. This is rare. Especially in an era of disposable culture, but Geoffroy has his finger on something special, even if at times he isn’t quite sure how to harness it to its full potential. Geoffroy isn’t the finished article yet, but he’s close, and that is more than enough to make ‘1952’ an exciting listen.
