Singer/Songwriter Allison Geddie makes a strong debut with Everything You Don’t See. The album was produced by Greg Critchely (Michelle Branch, High School Musical, Miley Cyrus) and features Geddie’s commanding, and often haunting, songwriting presence as well as guitar work by the Goo Goo Doll’s Greg Suran and Nelly Furtado axeman Mike Krompass.
Having Greg Critchley’s name attached to this was a risky prospect in my opinion. The mere presence of his name invokes the spirit of the ever blossoming tween market, which doesn’t bode well when trying to get adults to consider your music as “legitimate.” Geddie is a beautiful young woman as well, another signature of the tween market. Make no mistake though, Geddie is far from a tweenie-bopper. Her music is quiet, thoughtful, and introspective in the same way that debut albums from artists like Jewel and Sarah McLaughlin were but with just a little more melodic energy. Everything You Don’t See is a singer/songwriter album for sure but is tinged with some strong pop hooks in mostly the right places.
There are a few highlights here. “Take a Shot” is probably the best example of what Geddie has the potential to evolve into in my opinion. The song is very controlled and reserved in a Christine Kane kind of way, but the soulful vocal and the underlying pop hook in the chorus make it a memorable number. The acoustic “Walking Slow” is riddled with piano and very mild orchestration, elevating it from a simple folk song into something more wonderful and certainly more beautiful, perfectly marrying music and lyric. The more up-tempo, hook-oriented, “Set Us Free” is more dynamic than many of the songs on the album and initially stands out for that reason. Over a few listens though, it becomes a standout track as much for its nice hook as its compelling lyrics.
Overall this is a better than average debut album. If you are a fan of singer/songwriter, folk, or quieter, more organic pop artists then you should definitely check this out. Geddie has a lot of room to grow but I doubt any purchaser would feel ripped off after spending their hard-earned money on Everything You Don’t See.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
