Jim Greer Album Review
Jim Greer – “Ginger Vision”
Jim Greer: vocals/keys
Tim Carter: percussion/guitars
Available Now!
- Save Me (for a Rainy Day)
- Hollow
- Pixie Dust
- Let Live with the Chemicals
- Eagles Whisper
- Look What a Mess I’ve Made of My Life
- Yer Breaking Up
- National Echo
- Memory & Logic
- Sunshine…On!
Bay Area mainstay and Head Automatica member Jim Greer offers up “Ginger Vision,†a brand new spanking slab of offbeat melodic pop tunes with grungy tweaks that evokes—for some reason, maybe it’s just me—lounging comfortably in a lawn chair while nodding approvingly. While that may be the vibe sonically, the lyrics go for a more somber note.
Greer has worked with some industry names over the years (most notably for me is Galactic drummer Stanton Moore) and perhaps he’s learned some lessons along the way, evident in the man’s craftsmanship. But instead of doing the stereotypical pop thing and keeping the songs upbeat all the way around, he deals with a more personal issue on the record: his infant son Teddy’s battle with neuroblastoma, a rare genetic cancer.
Instead of just addressing his own pain and fear over his son’s disease, Greer takes the much higher road and instead reflects on the fragility of life that anyone calling themselves human would and could relate to, with “Hollow†and “Save Me (for a Rainy Day)†showcasing some choice alt-pop chops. Most of the songs follow this same formula save for Ginger’s best gem, the danceable “Look What a Mess I’ve Made of My Life,†which straddles the lines between classic Pete Gabriel and early Jamiroquai.
Heavy on melody with an understandable dash of melancholy, Ginger Vision is worthy of a pick up by anyone looking for strong songwriting with some near psychedelic sing-along moments, and of note is that all proceeds fund the littlest Greer’s mounting medical costs.
Admittedly this isn’t the first thing I’d grab, but I wouldn’t be sad if I did.
Here’s to a more promising prognosis for little Teddy.
*album review submitted by Brian Williams
About the Author
Denise Borders 39, Los Angeles. Denise founded PWV in 2008 and remains the primary manager and photographer/videographer. She is not secretly obsessed with Joey Cape.
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