Song: Shoal (by Cosmonaut)
Album: Pipebomb Full Of Nails (Cosmonaut) / Dutch Mafia (Genius Hired Guns)
Year: 2004 / ?
Genre: Alternative / Pop / Experimental
Going to try and review two bands in one fell swoop. Last September saw me blather on about the talent and
creativity of alt-metal-pop weirdos Thought Industry; a band whose break up
still saddens me to this day. Now, one
would think that a fan (like me!) would do some research into other projects
and bands that ex-members have been involved in since their demise. Nope (not me!). What a dummy.
It wasn’t until I wrote my Thought Industry review that it dawned upon
me to see what vocalist and TI visionary Brent Oberlin is up to these
days. Well, the answer is not much
currently, but what I did find was his involvement in two bands that I had no
clue about previously. Once again…what a
dummy. I soon discovered that I could
have been listening to him in Cosmonaut and Genius Hired Guns for years instead
of discovering both bands a few weeks ago.
These one-off projects are very similar to Thought Industry in their Outer Space Is Only A Martini Away era, yet minus the blatant, almost playful
pop overtones. Brent lends his trademark
vocalizing talents to both bands. While the two bands share similarities, I’m finding
myself meandering back to the Cosmonaut camp a bit more than the Genius Hired
Guns. Cosmonaut has a bit of a darker
feel to it, is more consistent and has more of the elements that made me love
TI. If you were a Thought Industry fan
or would just like to hear something that isn’t typical or cookie-cutter, both
Cosmonaut and Genius Hired Guns are highly recommended.
Listen to "Shoal" here.
Listen to "Shoal" here.