Having brightened our world with the sun-kissed sounds of California’s pop-punk stalwarts The Story So Far, guitarist Kevin Geyer formed his one man project Same Side in 2020 to take a more instinctual approach to music. After the warm reception received by former album In Place, Same Side return with sophomore record Oh No, a ten-track album which finds Kevin drawing on personal experience for an intimate record that will plant deep roots in the listener’s psyche.
Although Kevin is perhaps best known for his work with The Story So Far, he also plays in supergroup Pile Of Love, and also the Elder Brothers, but when approaching Same Side it is best to put any preconceived ideas of what you think Oh No will sound like because you’re likely to have them blown to smithereens. With a low-key, lo-fi drone, Oh No gets off to a decidedly understated start with ‘Before’, a rather discombobulating introduction, but Kevin soon hits his stride with the album’s first single ‘Now’. This track is indicative of the whole album; it’s the sound of an artist chasing the genesis of an idea through to the blossoming of a song. Subsequently, Oh No has a very organic feel; Kevin is guided by both his muse and gut instinct which means that tracks such as ‘On & On & On’ could grow in any direction (and they do). It’s a very “hands off” approach and there’s been very little retrospective tinkering; the focus is on the song writing procedure rather than the finished song and this makes for an infinitely interesting listening experience.
Aesthetically, Oh No is reminding me of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska album (albeit far lighter) and it shares many similarities from the parred back production to the first person narration. In fact, if Bruce had grown up in Walnut Creek rather than New Jersey, I’d imagine he’d produce a record not unlike Oh No. Often Kevin’s astute lyricism can get lost within the rumbustious sound of The Story So Far and Pile Of Love, but the stark nature of Oh No has the added bonus of bringing his words to the fore, and they find him opening his wounds in public to reveal deep insecurities (‘Oh, No’) and issues with anxiety (‘Now’). You might expect such an album to be a monochrome affair, yet Oh No is actually a colourful album with each track emitting its own unique aura. The fact is that this is solo effort ensures a singular vision, while the sense of dread which lurks beneath the surface stitches the album together thematically.
The haunting ‘Part Of It’ brings the album to a thoughtful conclusion and ensures Oh No won’t be forgotten in a hurry. This is such a charming album that its title should really be titled Oh Yes!
- Oh No is released via Pure Noise Records on 2nd February 2024.
Track List:
- Before
- Now
- Cruise
- On & On & On
- What You’re Missing
- Static
- Killing Time
- Oh, No
- POV
- Part Of It
