"This Is Good" is the full-length debut record from Vancouver’s Hannah Georgas. The record is described as "a warm collection of 11 indie-pop songs that highlight Hannah’s unmistakable voice and reveal her range as a songwriter, guitarist and vocalist." "This Is Good" follows her award-winning EP, "The Beat Stuff".
Indie-pop bands are a dime a dozen these days, but what promises to separate Georgas from the pack is her distinctive voice. Her vocals are velvety smooth, but she can shape and mold them to fit comfortably into almost any genre. Georgas is graceful enough for pop, sultry enough for jazz, hip enough for indie music, and edgy enough for rock. This is no easy feat, but the tone and inflections that Georgas has mastered with her voice should certainly take her far.
The styles of music also run the gamut on "This Is Good". We begin with the contemporary "Chit Chat", a track that jumps on the indie pop bandwagon, but rides it well. From there, Georgas turns left and belts out a smooth pop tune called "Lovesick" that is laced with lovely harmonies and has quite a radio-friendly melody. "Dancefloor" is a respectable party song, brainless and trivial as it should be, but Georgas throws in a hint of Blondie towards the end that is pretty cool. As if this weren't all over the map enough, we then hear the bluegrass opening of "The Deep End", a tune which develops into a wonderfully engaging mid-tempo ballad. "The Deep End" is well-placed, refreshing change of pace and has grown to be my favorite track on the record. "Thick Skin" (video below) is a rather bizarre song, with haunting strings and eerie melodies that are not for the musically tame. The title track is aptly named and marks a welcomed return to the band's more commercial side. "Bang Bang You're Dead" is also very catchy and has a clever play on the use of shhh in the chorus, the combination making this track another winner. Georgas finishes the record with a quirky and old fashioned ditty called "Something for You".
"This Is Good" does live up to its title in most respects, with some tunes being more instantly memorable than others. Overall, this is an impressive debut and should be an effective vehicle to introduce the rest of the world to the vocal charms of Hannah Georgas. I'd recommend it if you like Frente!, Bjork, or Tegan and Sara. "This Is Good" comes out on April 27.
iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9
Hannah Georgas on MySpace.
Check out the video for "Thick Skin":
1 comment:
She has a very cool voice, like the video. Thanks!
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