Record review: Hey Geronimo – Hey Geronimo (2012, EP)

hey geronimo
Supergroups tend to be put together by the types of musicians who hail from the harder side of the rock spectrum – the likes of Dave Grohl, Slash, or Lemmy – but now Australian indie-pop is cutting in on their action in the form of Brisbane five-piece Hey Geronimo. Comprised of various members of local acts The Boat People, Blame Ringo!, and Montpelier, Hey Geronimo play addictively-catchy, hook-laden pop-rock, and bring the summery good times and positive vibes by the truck load on this debut EP. Its all-too-brief fifteen minutes pack plenty in; there are hints of Beach Boys melodies, Vampire Weekend guitars, and Ball Park Music quirkiness sprinkled liberally throughout. Any song that starts with a chorus in the form of a question is ok by me, as opener ‘Why Don’t We Do Something?’ shows itself to be instantly infectious. Stuffed full of sing-along lyrics, deft harmonies, and honky-tonk piano, it explodes into life and makes you want to pogo like an idiot and knock over someone’s drink. If you think that’s enough of a risk to your street cred, then ‘Carbon Affair’ will have you reconsidering, as it’s even catchier again; except this time you’ll be pogoing, spilling drinks, and busting out your goofiest air guitar moves. ‘Dreamboat Jack’ channels Weezer, ‘I Got No Money’ combines fuzzy guitar with snappy handclaps, and closer ‘Co-Op Bookshop’ could be an early Lennon/McCartney B-side. As Brisbane continues to churn out top drawer indie bands, this EP puts Hey Geronimo up there with the best.

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