Geographer
Ghost Modern
ROLL CALL
6/10
Ghost Modern, Geographer’s third full-length, is an intricate, yet sometimes overwhelmingly crowded listening experience. Tiny instrumental interludes cleanse the aural palate for each wave of Mike Deni’s thoughtful offerings, which pull elements from contrasting genres and move beyond the almighty synthesizer, but the resulting LP is still needlessly busy. If one were to list all of the details layered on the record, they’d find themselves with a remarkable stack, including twinkling strings, horn swells, and gently swirling piano. “Too Much,” “The Guest,” and album closer “Falling Apart” brilliantly showcase Deni’s abilities to blend digital and analog instruments into an effective number, but overall the album feels as if he got overeager to show off everything he’s capable of. Even the lyricism seems to have been put on the back burner and ultimately sounds predictable and cliché. With a bit of editing and a more focused vision, Deni’s talent will help carry Geographer up to his lofty ambitions.
