Georgie - At Home

Words by Robin Mumford Of The Indie Plug.

Written in her home studio throughout the unprecedented and turbulent times of the global pandemic, Georgie’s latest album release ‘At Home’ is the perfect soundtrack to those who may have experienced loss over the last 3-4 months, but are now seeking redemption. Soulful swirls of melody and infectious vocals which never fail to hit the high notes paves way for a perfect blend of the usual summer vibes that we are accustomed to throughout Georgie’s entire catalogue of songs and the brutal reality of current circumstances of everyday life. 

Whilst blasting this album through my earphones dreaming of an island paradise far far away, I couldn't help but think that the famous German novelist, Berthold Auerbach and his quote, “music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life” ties in perfectly with what Georgie has achieved through her lyrics and melodies in this meritorious release. Whilst it is clear that the Mansfield based singer - songwriter tackles the challenges of life in the global pandemic with the channeling of raw emotions and lyrics of tainted memories of a disappearing era, it is done in a way that is hopeful and upbeat. 

Reminiscent of days on the beach with your friends under the blistering sun, the opening track ‘Company’ successfully plummets the listener into a state of hopeful pursuit of social interaction with those who we love. The fast paced soulful symphonies in this song lead to a perfect way to start an album, my personal favourite. The 8 track album rolls effortlessly from song to song with ‘Simple Things’ taking on a slower and more tender approach. When lockdown was in full swing, Georgie turned to the smaller things in her everyday routine to keep her going and this is something we as listeners can relate to and thus helps us to feel like we’re not alone. The piano instrumentals in this song provokes a calmer mood with the lyrics swaying to perhaps a more meaningful outlook on minimalism and its importance to keep pushing through the tough times. 

It was no surprise for me to learn that Georgie took a lot of inspiration from Lana Del Rey during the production of ‘At Home’. Both of the next two songs, ‘Unrequited Love’ and ‘Rules We Broke’, remind me very much of the highly rated release of ‘Summertime Sadness’ both in overall quality and heartfelt feel. The latter of the two sets in motion what I found to be more of a 90’s anthem with the rugged guitar in the background and the yet again infectious vocals. The undeniable strength in performance on this album is clearly emphasised by the fact Georgie has been able to express a similar theme throughout but also allowed herself to explore different avenues in the way the songs sound, something that not many artists are capable of. Plenty of artists are able to think of a theme but too many fail to experiment with different sounds. 

The only song that wasn’t produced during lockdown ‘Chasing Kites’ was written with the musical genius Eg White in his studio located in Shepherds Bush. This already released song in her own words “gave me confidence to find what I was about musically and really led the way for me to go off on my own and discover the world of production”. If it weren’t for this song, we may not have seen this album released during lockdown and myself personally am very grateful of Eg White because of this. A faultless flowing song that signalled the start of the production of ‘At Home’. ‘Now We’re Lonely’ is another example of a production masterpiece with the use of Gospel harmonies, similar to that of Aretha Franklin. What I found very intriguing about this piece was the fact that Georgie never actually wrote down lyrics for this song and simply went off the cuff. Whilst the thought of a winged set of lyrics frightened me at first, Georgie quickly proved my assumptions of this song wrong as I was greeted with what can only be described as more soulful swirls, accentuated harmony, and pleasant peacefulness. 

Nostalgia and happiness sweeps over the listener in the last two songs as Georgie begins to find light at the end of the tunnel and the braking of a rollercoaster like journey. Whilst the start of the album is upbeat in comparison to the bona fide middle, the end seamlessly returns to the joyful symphonies found at the beginning of the album.  ‘Me and You Only’ and ‘Blue Waters’ are perhaps my favourite endings to a great album because of the way it constructs a story of the end of lockdown. 

Overall this album is a great soundtrack for your summer and I really believe that this story of lockdown from its lows all the way up to its highs is the start of a successful musical journey for Georgie. Put on your earphones, crank up the volume, and picture life on a faraway island. After all, music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. ****

At Home is released on Friday 7th August via Soul Kitchen Record.