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Artist: Michael Galianos Album: “Beautiful Discovery” Review by Reed Burnam If it seems like there’s something naggingly familiar about aspects of Michael Galianos’ newest LP Beautiful Discovery (2011, Georgelis Studios), that’s because there most definitely is. Running through some of the most prominent tropes of both mainstream and ‘alternative’ (read: pre-00’s) rock and pop of the last few decades, Beautiful Discovery is both a new discovery of its own and a well-worn exercise in simple, ...
Artist: Michael Galianos Album: “Beautiful Discovery” Review by Reed Burnam If it seems like there’s something naggingly familiar about aspects of Michael Galianos’ newest LP Beautiful Discovery (2011, Georgelis Studios), that’s because there most definitely is. Running through some of the most prominent tropes of both mainstream and ‘alternative’ (read: pre-00’s) rock and pop of the last few decades, Beautiful Discovery is both a new discovery of its own and a well-worn exercise in simple, bedroom pop anthems that never lose their appeal. So what is it that’s so familiar about Beautiful Discovery? As a complete album, the tracks move from one to another, often diverging stylistically while holding onto the pop-continuum as a steady tether. And speaking of style, one can find a lot to chew on here. Just give a listen to the album and see what comes to mind. To name a few elements bubbling to the surface: there’s Brit Invasion-ers like the Kinks and the Beatles; American groups like Big Star and (even) the Beach Boys; the refracted pop sensibilities of Jonathan Richman and Robyn Hitchcock; the jangly overtones of earlier REM; the simplistic child-pop of Jad Fair; the deliberately uninspired pop/rock of J. Mascis; the saccharine yet heartbreakingly plaintive love ballads of Lou Barlow & company…and the list goes on. There’s a lot of 90’s on this album, seems to this reviewer, ranging from prominent influences right down to the production value . Adding to the overall mood is the fact that Galianos not only penned the album, but played most of the instruments himself (with the exception of drums and some keyboards), and helmed most of the back-up vox. One wonders what outside hands might have brought to the project, but the end result isn’t necessarily lacking from them either, and one-man band projects are always admirable for full-on display of singular vision. So what do you get here? Simple delivery: Guitar, bass, drums, some keys, vocals. And what else do you need? It’s pop music, not rocket science, and the lack of bells and whistles on Beautiful Discovery is a great way to appreciate the straightforward contours of pop gems like “Time of the Century”. There’s something so earnest, so bedroom about much of this release that it’s infectious, only increasing with repeat listens. Album standouts are the aforementioned “Time of the Century” (which is ready for college airplay, all you dj’s out there), the wavering guitar shimmer of “It Will Be”, the discordantly hummable “Never Bet on Love”, and the plaintive yet hopeful lines of “Jellybean”. A quick word on that song in particular, and one of the more memorable qualities of the whole album (addressed to the artist personally): If you didn’t mean for your voice to be off-key at certain points, don’t lose it, it totally works. Keep that waver and that tremble. In a universe of autotune, slick studio vox, and perfectly placed harmonies, the ones that truly stand out are the ones that aren’t afraid to be inconsistent. It doesn’t sell as many records, but it keeps you grounded in a world of shapeshifters out to pull a fast one over on the public ear. This album has some really amazing moments, anchored by Galianos’ idiosyncratic ear for melody and structure. Now, all that being the case, it needs to be said that Beautiful Discovery could have had a better gel to it had it replaced a few weaker tracks with more palatable selections. The middle of the album sags rather dramatically, and the intervening tracks don’t so much fill the album out as come off simply out of step with the other fare. In particular, “Kiss and Tell” and “Soiree” both seem rather out of place, more B-side material than album red meat. While “Soiree” does seem somewhat at home given the album’s overall basement-made feel (the track’s main melodic line sounds like a 80’s power ballad four-track bong odyssey), the out-of-left-field Fruity Loops beat framing the tense guitar thrust of “Kiss and Tell” seems like a misplaced cut from another album altogether, and not just due to the appearance of a rogue vocalist. Letting on that the shift wasn’t unnoticed by the powers that be, a female voice “interrupts” the previous broadcast leading into “Kiss and Tell”, and the aforementioned fingerpicked guitar line of “Soiree” is overdubbed by laughter at the 1:30 mark, just before heading into (another) canned techno drum line regrettably out of place with the rest of the album. Does this let on that the artist was aware of said shift in tempo, and perhaps self-conscious of it? In all though, Beautiful Discovery is a very listenable album with a number of solid, endearing pop gems filling out its roster of (mostly) strong and interesting material. Michael Galianos is a talented songwriter, and one would hope that his next release continues capitalizing on the successful elements of Beautiful Discovery. Review by Reed Burnam Artist: Michael Galianos Album: Beautiful Discovery Review by Kevin Mathews What to make of this eclectic offering from singer-songwriter Michael Galianos? Beautiful Discovery by and large lives up to its apt billing . There is no holding back in the creative department as Galianos pours every ounce of his artistry into each and every song on Beautiful Discovery. Taken from a generalized macro level, Galianos is deeply influenced by the liberal free-for-all songwriting of the Beatles, not afraid to try out any of his ideas, no matter how scatterbrained! Think of all the sonic mavericks of the 60s/70s (like Brian Wilson, Syd Barrett, Neil Young, David Bowie, Todd Rundgren et al) and it’s becomes quite easy to understand where Galianos is coming from. It is not difficult to discern Galianos’ ingenuous intentions on Beautiful Discovery. True blue music lovers will be able to appreciate exactly what Galianos is trying to achieve here on this humble effort. Best part of all is that Galianos is in all honesty producing old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll music - not the ‘dated’ sound of the 50s and 60s, but the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll that spawned a million ‘genres’ since but which has never grown old or irrelevant. It lies in the ambition to venture beyond conventional boundaries and to experiment with sounds and arrangements throughout. Clocking in under 22 minutes, Beautiful Discovery would be considered as a mini-album in modern times but probably back in the 6os, this duration would be good enough for a full-length. That said, it is infinitely better to listen to 20 minutes of quality rock music than 70 minutes of filler anytime. No arguments with that. The first track (out of eight) is the brilliant “Time of the Century” (which in the 90s, would be described as ‘alternative rock’) with its Cobain-channeling verses and country-folk underpinned chorus. The song might come across as a glorified demo but with chops like this (check out the Neil Young guitar solo), 90s alternative rock lovers will be more than satisfied. “Flashing Memories” continues in a slightly atonal vein, bearing the hallmarks of old-fashioned psychedelic rock, especially in the spacey chorus, while the verse revels in intricate guitar chord shapes that recall UK post-punk bands Wire, XTC and Gang of Four. “Kiss and Tell” makes a tangential sidestep as disco-fied beats drive a quirky melody . “Soiree” is a wild clash between Renaissance-era sonic evocations and techno beats, “Tell Her Today” is yet another extreme lo-fi exercise (the triangle percussion is kind of annoying though) with a Beatlesque chorus that will ensure that the listener ignores all these flaws. “It Will Be” is a slacker-country midtempo rocker whereby Galianos sings with his best J Mascis voice, “About You” is a pocket-sized sixties go-go anthem (1:51) and “Jellybean” wraps up Beautiful Discovery nicely with a nod and a wink to Pavement’s best moments. With deftness of touch and knowing certainty, Galianos has delivered a brilliant album that makes the absolute best of available technology to provide worthy and memorable songwriting expressions. Two guitars, bass, drums and three voices. Bluntly you can file it under Westcoast pop; the music is blissfully melodious. Sure, think the 4 B's (Beatles, Beach Boys, Byrds, Big Star), why not? But add 70s rock, rounded off by lush harmony vocal stacks. CD Baby
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