THE REAL LAZY GENIUS

Dreamy

2014-02-28

The Real Lazy Genius - Patrick Wieland, Daniel Francis, Jonny Bruha, Adam Cavanaugh and Kristi Prindle - is a five-piece band that formed in 2008 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Local Spins describes the band's sound morphing "from punk-hued alternative music to shoegaze-shaded psychedelic rock." Their third LP, Dreamy, was released in December 2013, celebrated with a release concert at Founders, in downtown Grand Rapids. The album was recorded at Matt Ten Clay's Amber Lit Audio. Dreamy opens with Wieland's steady vocals in "Tide Hit The Rocks," a song that feels closer to rock, but the third track, "Lost Melody" moves into a psychedelic genre. The heavy drums and electric guitar of the first two tracks are left behind, and instead Lazy Genius brings the listener to a soft, reverb-filled dreamscape. Piano and violin carry the listener out of the dream and back to a rock reality. "Take Your Time" showcases the bands ability to create melodic variation over nearly seven minutes. "Skeleton Trees" uses heavy electric guitar, reverb and drums to create a haunting setting for Wieland's eerie lyrics. The title track, "Dreamy/It's So Far Away (Depth Perception Miscalculation)," is the most interesting of the album.Prindle's vocals begin over a simple guitar and drum line, before the song moves in and out of a cacophony of cymbals, snare, guitar, synth and keys.
Richard Martin

Quick Links:

More reviews tagged #Rock

  • reviewed 06/2010

    ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
    STREET SONGS OF LOVE

  • reviewed 08/2009

    SONNY LANDRETH
    LEVEE TOWN {EXPANDED EDITION}

  • reviewed 11/2012

    JASON LYTLE
    Dept. of Disappearance

  • reviewed 06/2007

    JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN
    Real Life

  • reviewed 03/2007

    Green Pitch
    Ace of Hearts

  • reviewed 05/2011

    BEN HARPER
    GIVE TILL IT'S GONE

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.