2006, Self-released
New-comers The Stock Market Crash open their debut release, Geology, with a sort of rare infectious drive. Sounding significantly like a throwback group in all the right ways -- and, luckily, not too many of the wrong ones -- the group maintains a visage through their sonic musings that's neither overly "retro" nor terribly out-of-touch.
Geology is an incredibly well written record, but at times it can go slightly astray -- one noted example is the almost sparse first half of "Here & Now": plagued by vocals that are just too much for the melodic nature of the instrumentation, the track is an excellent demonstration in the potential downfalls of having a vocalist that performs remarkably well in a loud, energetic scenario.
But, despite the potential falling points of Geology, The Stock Market Crash performs reasonably well -- and, considering the fact that this is their debut album, one is naturally led to expect some rough edges. This is a record full of catchy, energetic pop tunes that are innately foot-tapping --- and with an ever-important modicum of eccentricity, The Stock Market Crash's Geology is worth even just a passive listen.