27 Apr 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Geoff Ong - Album Review: Maybe It’ll Be Alright

19 Nov 2020 // A review by TheMechanism

It was a hot Summer’s night, and I was crammed into the King’s Arms, waiting to see Animals as Leaders opening for Periphery, back in 2014.

Suddenly, there was an announcement over the PA. A crazy driver went straight through a stop sign, causing a 5 car collision.

Although I wasn’t in my car at the time, the force of the crash was strong enough to push my parked car into 3 others, one of those car’s being Geoff Ong’s, and that’s how we met.

As it turns out, Geoff is a seriously talented individual. He makes all of his own music videos, and he wrote, performed, and produced his debut album Maybe It’ll Be Alright all by himself.

Geoff has tremendous energy onstage, however when he speaks, he is quiet and reserved. Geoff’s passion and vulnerability is endearing, and really shines through on this album.

Maybe It’ll Be Alright is bursting with catchy, feel good tunes, that will get stuck in your head. It’s hard to put this album in a box - if I had to, I’d call it a "Pop & RNB affair, infused with jazz and retro inspired funk".

At the heart of the album lies punchy beats, punctuated baselines, uplifting synths and funky rhythm guitars. This backbone is complimented with layers of thoughtful, melodic vocal arrangements and rich harmonies.

Geoff takes you on a journey of his life’s ups and downs… there’s plenty of fun, upbeat, dance floor bangers such as Save Me The Weekend and Into You, as well as the slinky grooves in Neon Ocean and Don’t Know You No More - check out the breakdown at 2:24, Geoff hits high notes that put Mariah Carey to shame. From soulful tunes such as All The Hours through to the introspective title track Maybe It’ll Be Alright, Geoff isn’t afraid to bare his soul, and his straight up honestly is mighty refreshing.

I’d give this album 6 stars if I could, it’s that good. Geoff has clearly poured his heart and soul into this album, and the fact he has crafted it all single handedly is downright impressive. All the elements from the lyrics, songwriting, musicianship, and production all come together beautifully, in an album that I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to from start to finish. Do yourself a favour and add this album to your playlist immediately, I promise you, it’ll definitely be alright.

Rating: ( 5 / 5 )
 

About Geoff Ong

Geoff Ong wants to be a pop star for dorks. “I love all the sounds and melodies of pop music, but I never really felt like I was cool enough to relate to the people performing it,” he says. “I figure there must be other people out there who feel the same way – my music is for them.”

Geoff’s 2018 single, Fingerprints, a shimmering slice of soulful indie pop, was recorded in his bedroom in Kingsland, with production, mixing and mastering by Phil Levine of the illustrious Igloo Music Studios in Los Angeles, who won two Grammy Awards for their work on 2016’s box office hit, La La Land.

Fingerprints made an immediate impact, peaking at #3 on the Hot NZ Singles Chart and #25 on the overall Hot Singles Top 40 Chart. It was also featured on ZM, The Edge, The Edge TV, and Radio New Zealand.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Geoff Ong

Releases

Maybe It'll Be Alright
Year: 2020
Type: Album
The Boston EP
Year: 2015
Type: EP
Streetlights
Year: 2014
Type: EP
The Snorlax Mixtape
Year: 2014
Type: EP
Pictures
Year: 2011
Type: EP

Other Reviews By TheMechanism

Gig Review: Jon Toogood @ Leigh Sawmill, Leigh - 03/01/2021
04 Jan 2021 // by TheMechanism
I’ve enjoyed many Shihad shows over the years. Visceral guitars and bass, thunderous drums, and powerful vocals are the hallmark of Shihad’s sound… But, what happens when you strip it all back to just Jon Toogood, and an acoustic guitar?
Read More...
State Of Mind - Single Review: Fateful Hour
09 Oct 2020 // by TheMechanism
Auckland Drum and Bass duo State of Mind have come a long way over the years, with 6 albums and many high profile collaborations under their belt. Their latest release Fateful Hour with Black Sun Empire, is yet another fine example of this outfit’s world class production prowess.
Read More...
View All Articles By TheMechanism

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • FORTNIGHT
    Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone
  • TOO SWEET
    Hozier
  • DOWN BAD
    Taylor Swift
  • THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT
    Taylor Swift
  • SO LONG, LONDON
    Taylor Swift
  • I CAN DO IT WITH A BROKEN HEART
    Taylor Swift
  • MY BOY ONLY BREAKS HIS FAVORITE TOYS
    Taylor Swift
  • BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM
    Taylor Swift
  • FLORIDA!!!
    Taylor Swift feat. Florence And The Machine
  • WHO'S AFRAID OF LITTLE OLD ME?
    Taylor Swift
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem