Apparently hanging out with
Ty Segall
can have a powerful effect on a person.
Laena Geronimo
has played everything from the basic classical repertoire to girl group-inspired pop. But after playing some acoustic shows with
Segall
, she's drifted deep into the garage, and her new band
Feels
is the result. Playing scruffy garage punk with a veneer of psychedelia,
' self-titled debut album was produced by
, who makes the most of their buzzy guitars and layers of reverb. In
,
Geronimo
(guitar and vocals) is joined by
Shannon Lay
(guitar and keyboards),
Amy Allen
(bass), and
Michael Perry Rudes
(drums). Together, the musicians generate large clouds of dirty guitar and thick but nimble rhythms, captured by
with his usual complement of echo and grit. However, the songs here also have a genuine, engaging melodic bounce that shines through the murk. And one can hear Middle Eastern and world music influences in the soloing by
and
Lay
. This band may be reaching for a snotty, punk-approved tone, but the details show
are true internationalists in their musical approach. The dreamlike pace of "Today" and "Small Talk" helps bring forth the trippy aspects of these songs. And the harmonies are bright and executed with energetic skill. Sometimes the more imaginative aspects of
' approach seem slightly at odds with the harder-edged attack of the guitars and drums. But a real passion and vision are audible on all nine tunes.
's influence may permeate
, but these musicians have enough ideas of their own to give this a compelling sound and personality of their own. ~ Mark Deming