Geoff Palmer – An Otherwise Negative Situation

Geoff Palmer never seems to stop, whether it’s with the numerous acts he has recorded and toured with, including The Guts, The Queers, The Connection and Kurt Baker Combo, or with his relentless solo releases, which brings us to his brand new full-length, An Otherwise Negative Situation, that is being released on the 20th October via Stardumb Records, Brassneck Records and Endless Detention Records. To keep this in house Geoff Palmer is backed up on An Otherwise Negative Situation by regular collaborators Zack Spraque (The Connection) on drums and Kurt Baker (K7s / Kurt Baker Combo) on bass.

Anyone familiar with Palmer’s relentless output will know that he is dedicated to keeping the spirit of power pop and punk pop alive, and on that front An Otherwise Negative Situation won’t come as a surprise on any level. Geoff Palmer knows his strengths and he plays to them, opener Give It Up is a prime example, it’s a new wave fuelled hit of power pop, 30 seconds in and you foot is tapping along, you pick the chorus up as you go along and before you know it you’re hooked, This is part of Palmer’s charm, even though you know roughly what’s headed your way you’re still happy when it arrives.

There are moments of pure power pop such as We Run, Ignite and Dark Thoughts that goes back to the 70’s roots of the scene, but that’s not the end of the story by any means. Surfing In Nebraska, Stuck With You and In The Grooves bring an old school punk element into the mix that’s combined with an overdose of harmonies and melodies, whilst FOMO takes us back into the new wave. In contrast you Backseat Driver that take things slightly, and only slightly, into a 70’s Tom Pretty kinda vibe, and there’s the melancholy pop punk of Like A Dove to bring things almost up to date.

Geoff Palmer relentlessly releases new material, the ones I have heard, and I’ve only scratched the surface of his back catalogue, deals in timeless power pop, new wave and melodic punk, in the oldest of old school senses. He has carved out a very definite niche, this should make him predictable and you’d think interest would wane, but this doesn’t happen. The reason for this is that his songwriting always raises the bar, there is no filler, nothing you feel you should skip or delete, just pure power pop done just as it oughta be. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was another album coming out in the near future that carries his fingerprints, although I would be surprised if it was any less than the equal of this one.