The Genes – The First Person To Wear Black

Known as the representatives of the acoustic pop sound from Oz, this time around, The Genes have turned on a bit more electricity than usual.

Masterminded by their frontman Nolan Angell, the album is one of those that we call “the growers”, slowly growing up on you after every new listen. Of course, there’s still plenty of that “unplugged” ambience, starting with the opening Single Tear, that follows the folky ways through the same moderndaze lens as their American soulmate Joe Mannix, or in I Always Loved You, providing a full-blown CSN&Y Woodstock experience.

Of course, sometimes it all gets notably upbeat like in I Know or Zero, an example of how to “make it funky” with such a simple instrumentation, in places also reminding of The Stone Roses, and the same goes for Time Is Never Wrong, with it’s dreamy, Ian Brown-like vocals.

There’s even a coupla tunes comin’ from the “country-side like Windowbird or Nothing Last Forever, with the Byrds flying all over the place and Add It Up And Cry proves the mentioned “grower” attribute by showing it’s hidden HIT potential after a few listens.

So, after the experience of “bringing it all back home”, I guess that The Genes now know it all, and I’m sure they’ll rock in the future, no matter if it’s electric or eclectic.

[Self-released 2001]