Georgie James - Places

I have an automatic affinity for Georgie James because they are from the same place as myself (relatively): Washington, D.C. I wouldn't go so far to say that the District of Columbia is a hub for indie pop rock, but then again I never explored the underbelly of it's music scene to find out. The band is made up of John Davis (formerly of Q and Not U) and Laura Burhenn. When Davis' band dissolved in 2005, he met Burhenn through the D.C. music scene and they bonded over similar tastes in pop music from 1950s-1970s. They self-released a demo in 2006 titled Demos at Dance Place. Either way, Georgie James came to my music collection because I heard a song they composed for NPR's Project Song series from All Songs Considered called "Monument." This track isn't on their album but sparked my interest enough that I sought out the album. In no way was I disappointed.

Their debut album on Saddle Creek Records is Places. It's a solid album through and through. Places is nice. A perfectly nice debut album. Georgie James doesn't try to be anything but themselves, which is admirable in and of itself. It sounds nice. It's well recorded. It's well produced. It's nicely arranged. It's nicely sung and played (even nice enough for a 7.4). For the most part, Davis and Burhenn alternate who sings and who sings harmony. This works out well as their voices mesh in a unique way that doesn't sound too perfect, but doesn't make you want to stop listening. Overall, the album is listenable all the way through, and may stick with you or it may not. But I've come back to it when I want something nice and familiar and I don't have to think about too much. As I said, it's quite a nice listen. Now it's your turn: