March 30, 2009

Album review: Loner

Western Sci-Fi

5 / 10 Facts about this album:
* Loner is the stage name of Geoff Smith.
* Smith has been playing piano since he was eight.
* His music was featured the penultimate episode of Sex And The City.

Album review:
A Loner he may be, but Geoff Smith lacks a singular vision. Initially, this second album comes on like a slick pastiche of Spiritualized – all mournful strings and repetitious fire-based metaphors. However, ‘I’m Not Sorry’ is a detour into saccharine electro-soul while ‘When The Party’s Over’ is grimly reminiscent of ’90s chill-out bores The Beloved. Everything points to an identity crisis, which is unsurprising given that Smith
is both a virtuoso pianist and The Rakes’ touring keyboardist. As he continues his doomed search for a midpoint between space-rock and The Script, questions arise. Why does he deliver rhyming-dictionary lyrics in such earnest tones? Why does he purge songs of character? And could it be that Loner is best left alone?

Niall O’Keeffe

More on this artist:
Loner NME Artist Page
Loner MySpace