{{for|the Miles Davis album|The New Sounds{{!}}''The New Sounds''}} {{good article}} {{Use British English|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox album | name = The New Sound | type = studio | artist = Geordie Greep | cover = The New Sound.png | alt = Flat-shaded coloured line-drawing of a woman in traditional Eastern garb kissing a decapitated man's head as a long stream of blood flows from his neck. It is implied the sickle she holds was used as a weapon. | released = {{start date|2024|10|04|df=y}} | recorded = September 2023 – April 2024 | studio = * RAK (London) * Fish Factory (London) * Hermitage Works (London) * New Sound (London) * HOXA HQ (London) * Estudio Do Tuto (São Paulo) * Da Pá Virada (São Paulo) | genre = * Progressive rock * {{nowrap|jazz-rock}} * Latin rock * samba * art rock<ref name="WVUA"/> | length = {{Duration|m=62|s=55}} | label = Rough Trade | producer = Seth Evans<!-- Do not add Greep per WP:NOEXEC, as he is credited as a co-producer --> | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = | next_year = | misc = {{Singles | name = The New Sound | type = studio | single1 = Holy, Holy | single1date = 20 August 2024<ref name="Pitch"/> | single2 = Blues | single2date = 1 October 2024<ref>{{cite web |title=Geordie Greep releases new single 'Blues' with live video |url=https://roughtraderecords.com/wp/2024/10/01/geordie-greep-releases-new-single-blues-with-live-video/ |publisher=Rough Trade Records |access-date=5 October 2024 |archive-date=5 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241005202954/https://roughtraderecords.com/wp/2024/10/01/geordie-greep-releases-new-single-blues-with-live-video/ |url-status=live }}</ref> }} }} '''''The New Sound''''' is the debut solo studio album by English musician Geordie Greep, released on 4 October 2024 on Rough Trade Records. ''The New Sound'' was produced by Black Midi touring and session member Seth Evans, with co-production from Greep. The album was recorded in London and São Paulo between September 2023 and April 2024. Black Midi, the band Greep had led since 2017, went public with their indefinite hiatus in August 2024. Days after, he announced the release of ''The New Sound'', alongside its lead single "Holy, Holy".
''The New Sound'' encompasses several stylistic influences, from progressive rock and jazz-rock to Brazilian music and Latin rock, while its satirical lyrics focus on themes of masculinity and desperation, taking the perspective of characters Greep wrote. The album received acclaim from music critics, with praise directed at Greep's songwriting.
==Background== Prior to beginning a solo career, Greep fronted the band Black Midi, and was known for his songwriting style emphasizing strong narratives. These songs often contained a "heavy theatrical flair", and the Associated Press wrote that many of these characteristics were carried over into ''The New Sound''.<ref name="AP">{{Cite web |last=Fauria |first=Krysta |date=2024-10-01 |title=Music Review: black midi's Geordie Greep aims for 'The New Sound' on his solo debut. And he hits it |url=https://apnews.com/article/black-midi-geordie-greep-new-album-b865040ea51efd0d3be0b896771ccb88 |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> ''The New Yorker'' described Greep as sounding "refreshed" on ''The New Sound'', in reference to the album's similarities with Greep's tenure in Black Midi.<ref name="NewYorker">{{Cite magazine|last=Pearce|first=Sheldon|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/geordie-greep-and-nnamdi-01-13-25|title=Geordie Greep and NNAMDÏ|magazine=The New Yorker|date=6 January 2025|access-date=20 October 2025}}</ref> On 30 March 2024, Greep played his debut solo show at The Windmill in Brixton, billed as "Geordie Greep and the Swing Boys", where he played new material which would eventually make the album.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-01 |title=Watch Black Midi's Geordie Greep Debut His New Band In London |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2257655/watch-black-midis-geordie-greep-debut-his-new-band-in-london/news/ |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=Stereogum |language=en |archive-date=2024-10-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241006002141/https://www.stereogum.com/2257655/watch-black-midis-geordie-greep-debut-his-new-band-in-london/news/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
On 10 August 2024, Greep abruptly announced that Black Midi had been on an indefinite hiatus, and that the band had internally split up long before he made it public.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rigotti |first=Alex |date=2024-09-04 |title=Geordie Greep talks 'The New Sound' and Black Midi split |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/geordie-greep-interview-black-midi-split-solo-album-new-sound-3790258 |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref> Ten days later,<ref name="NewYorker" /> on 20 August, Greep revealed ''The New Sound'' for the first time, and released the single "Holy, Holy".<ref name="Pitch">{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/black-midi-geordie-greep-announces-tour-and-debut-solo-album-shares-new-video-watch/|title=Black Midi's Geordie Greep Announces Tour and Debut Solo Album|website=Pitchfork|last=Strauss|first=Matthew|date=20 August 2024|access-date=5 October 2024|archive-date=5 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241005043915/https://pitchfork.com/news/black-midi-geordie-greep-announces-tour-and-debut-solo-album-shares-new-video-watch/|url-status=live}}</ref> The album cover is an illustration by Japanese artist Toshio Saeki;<ref name="SMH">{{Cite web |last=Moran |first=Robert |date=2024-10-17 |title=The incel era finally has its first classic album |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/the-incel-era-finally-has-its-first-classic-album-20241014-p5ki4j.html |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en |archive-date=2024-11-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241107115613/https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/the-incel-era-finally-has-its-first-classic-album-20241014-p5ki4j.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Greep said he chose the artwork for its qualities as a "crossover between beauty and perversion".<ref name="BigShip">{{Cite web|last=Howe|first=Bryson Edward|url=https://www.thebigship.org/post/the-new-sound-a-conversation-with-geordie-greep|title=The New Sound: A Conversation with Geordie Greep|work=The Big Ship|date=12 January 2025|access-date=20 October 2025}}</ref>
==Recording== Greep recorded the album in London and São Paulo between September 2023 and April 2024, with the help of over thirty musicians.<ref name="Line">{{cite web|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/black-midis-geordie-greep-announces-his-debut-solo-album-the-new-sound|title=black midi's Geordie Greep announces his debut album|work=The Line of Best Fit|last=Damara Kelly|first=Tyler|date=20 August 2024|access-date=5 October 2024|archive-date=7 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007212245/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/black-midis-geordie-greep-announces-his-debut-solo-album-the-new-sound|url-status=live}}</ref> The album's recording sessions spanned "eight or nine" days in total during this period, with Greep describing the process as "little chunks here and there rather than like a huge prolonged thing."<ref name="LastDonut">{{Cite web |date=2024-10-01 |title=Geordie Greep on His Solo Career, Bad Music Videos, and the Truth Behind the black midi Breakup |url=https://last-donut-of-the-night.ghost.io/geordie-greep-on-his-solo-career-bad-music-videos-and-the-truth-behind-the-black-midi-breakup/ |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=Last Donut of the Night |language=en |archive-date=2024-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007091836/https://last-donut-of-the-night.ghost.io/geordie-greep-on-his-solo-career-bad-music-videos-and-the-truth-behind-the-black-midi-breakup/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Recording began in September 2023 at RAK Studios in London, where "Blues", "Walk Up", and "Motorbike" were recorded. "The Magician" was recorded at Fish Factory Studios and was the last song Greep and Evans recorded prior to Black Midi resuming their tour.<ref name="album notes">{{Cite AV media notes |title=The New Sound |id=191402049909 |others= |publisher=Rough Trade Records |year=2024 |type=Vinyl liner notes |last=Greep |first=Geordie |author-link=Geordie Greep}}</ref><ref name="StereogumGreep"/> "The Magician" and "Walk Up" were originally Black Midi songs that were performed live but did not make it to a studio album before the band's hiatus.<ref name="blistein-2024">{{Cite magazine |last=Blistein |first=Jon |date=2024-10-01 |title=Geordie Greep Sings the Wanker's 'Blues' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/geordie-greep-blues-interview-black-midi-1235113175/ |access-date=2024-10-06 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> Black Midi drummer Morgan Simpson is featured on several tracks, as is touring musician Seth "Shank" Evans, who produced the album and performs lead vocals on "Motorbike".<ref name="doran-2024">{{Cite web |last=Doran |first=John |date=2024-09-05 |title=Beyond The Band: Geordie Greep Interviewed |url=https://thequietus.com/interviews/geordie-greep-black-midi-interview/ |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=The Quietus |language=en-GB}}</ref>
Greep and Evans chose to hold recording sessions for "Holy, Holy" in São Paulo due to the influences of Brazilian music on the song's composition. The sessions took place at Estudio Do Tuto and Da Pá Virada in November and December 2023 while Greep and Evans were on tour with Black Midi in Brazil.<ref name="album notes"/><ref name="StereogumGreep">{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2282606/geordie-greep-on-the-end-of-black-midi-recording-in-brazil-and-his-wild-debut-solo-album-the-new-sound/music/|title=Geordie Greep On The End Of Black Midi, Recording In Brazil, And His Wild Debut Solo Album|work=Stereogum|last=Leas|first=Ryan|date=October 1, 2024|access-date=October 6, 2024|archive-date=October 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007102625/https://www.stereogum.com/2282606/geordie-greep-on-the-end-of-black-midi-recording-in-brazil-and-his-wild-debut-solo-album-the-new-sound/music/|url-status=live}}</ref> Greep hired session musicians and lined up the recording days with the help of a contact he had in Brazil. During recording, the session musicians refused to use the planned chord charts for "Holy, Holy", finding them unnecessary. However, Greep stated that they ended up playing the song exactly as he had envisioned it. Greep and Evans initially planned on solely recording "Holy, Holy" in São Paulo, but found themselves working on four songs in total due to the success they had during these sessions, as Greep said that he was very satisfied with how the São Paulo sessions turned out.<ref name="StereogumGreep" />
Greep and Evans resumed recording in March 2024 at Fish Factory, where they recorded "The New Sound", "Bongo Season", and "If You Are But a Dream". Overdubs for the album were also recorded at Hermitage Works Studios, New Sound Studios, and HOXA HQ in London. The final overdubs were recorded at New Sound Studios in April 2024.<ref name="album notes"/>
==Music and lyrics== [[File:Geordie Greep at Wide Awake Festival 2021.png|thumb|right|Greep, pictured performing in 2021, received praise for the songwriting on ''The New Sound'', with ''Pitchfork'' comparing his satirical style to Randy Newman.<ref name="PFR" />]]
===Style and influences=== ''The New Sound'' is a progressive rock and jazz-rock album,<ref name="WVUA">{{Cite web|url=https://wvuafm.ua.edu/2024/11/06/from-black-midi-to-bossa-nova-a-review-of-the-new-sound-by-geordie-greep/|title=From Black Midi to Bossa Nova: A Review of The New Sound by Geordie Greep|last=Marik|first=Z.|work=WVUA-FM|date=6 November 2024|access-date=11 October 2025}}</ref> while also drawing heavy inspiration from Brazilian music, including bossa nova, MPB<ref name="doran-2024" /> and samba, as well as Latin rock.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.michigandaily.com/arts/music/the-new-sound-has-an-old-soul/|title='The New Sound' has an old soul|last=Mahdi|first=Rami|work=The Michigan Daily|date=13 November 2024|access-date=11 October 2025}}</ref> In describing ''The New Sound''{{'}}s influences, ''The Quietus'' highlighted Greep's admiration of Brazilian musician Naná Vasconcelos and his 1980 album ''Saudades'',<ref name="doran-2024" /> while ''Pitchfork'' described ''The New Sound'' as containing disparate "aesthetic trappings" of Milton Nascimento, John Abercrombie, Pat Metheny and Led Zeppelin.<ref name="PFR" />
The album's opening track "Blues" is primarily a collaboration between Greep, Evans, and Black Midi drummer Morgan Simpson. Greep said he wanted to keep its composition "loose", and only played the song in full for the first time during recording. This was due to the influence of Léo Ferré, as Greep was specifically inspired by how Ferré would expand on simple thematic starting points.<ref name="StereogumGreep"/> The album's closing track is a cover of the 1940s song "If You Are But a Dream". Greep said he wanted to take the song, which he regarded as "brilliant" after hearing it for the first time, in the direction of "a Salvation Army brass band vibe, like Tom Waits or something".<ref name="LastDonut"/>
===Lyrics=== The lyrics on ''The New Sound'' center around satirical character studies, with a particular focus on "desperation", which Greep called the main theme of the album.<ref name="SMH" /> Greep aimed to show, not tell "how bad it is", in describing each character's delusional fantasies and desires.<ref name="BigShip" /> These characters were inspired by men that Greep met out drinking at clubs and the stories that they would tell him.<ref name="doran-2024" /> Greep said that even though these characters may be "desperate" or "disgusting", he wanted to create some amount of pity or empathy for them from the listener,<ref name="Whiteboard">{{Cite web |date=2024-10-02 |title=Geordie Greep: "I hope people will be into it, but I don't know for sure." |url=https://www.whiteboardjournal.com/ideas/music/geordie-greep-i-hope-people-will-be-into-it-but-i-dont-know-for-sure/ |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=Whiteboard Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> as "it's very powerful when you can relate or empathise with someone you detest".<ref name="BigShip" /> Greep also stated that he never drew from his own personal experiences in designing the album's themes, instead thinking about questions like "When this guy leaves his bar, what does he do? Then, what is the rest of his life like?"<ref name="Whiteboard" />
"Holy, Holy" is an example of one song that demonstrates the theme of desperation,<ref name="Stereogum">{{Cite web |date=2024-10-01 |title=Geordie Greep On Black Midi's Breakup, Recording In Brazil, And His Wild Debut Solo LP |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2282606/geordie-greep-on-the-end-of-black-midi-recording-in-brazil-and-his-wild-debut-solo-album-the-new-sound/music/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=Stereogum |language=en}}</ref> taking the perspective of a hyper-masculine man, as the narrator's words "gradually expose the misogynistic insecurities that fuel his fabricated arrogance", according to ''KXSC Radio''.<ref name="KXSC">{{Cite web|url=https://kxsc.org/articles/brothers-osborne-8mad2-slrre-r99gh|last=Farahi|first=Shalen|title=TRACK REVIEW: Geordie Greep: "Holy, Holy"|work=KXSC Radio|date=2024-11-12|access-date=2025-09-18|language=en-US}}</ref> Greep said that the archetype of man explored in "Holy, Holy" and other songs had "taken over the internet", a phenomenon he called frustrating.<ref name="Guardian">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/oct/07/ex-black-midi-star-geordie-greep-the-new-sound|last=D'Souza|first=Shaad|title=Ex-Black Midi star Geordie Greep: 'Almost every band behaves like a corporation. Everything is a press release'|work=The Guardian|date=2024-10-07|access-date=2025-09-18}}</ref>
Robert Moran of ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' observed a tension on ''The New Sound'' between sickly humorous character studies like that of "Holy, Holy" and more sympathetic songs like Greep's cover of "If You Are But a Dream", which create a "tinge of sympathy" for the same character previously being mocked. Greep confirmed that this was intentional, saying, "That's why, in the same sentence sometimes, you're laughing, you're repulsed, and you also feel sorry. I wanted to make those things as hard to distinguish as possible."<ref name="SMH" /> Bryson Edward Howe of ''The Big Ship'' wrote that while Greep's characters may swim "in a murky self-awareness that invites more empathy than it perhaps deserves", this was part of the narrative design of the album, with Greep attempting to strike a reasonable balance of satire without being a "complete parody" to the point of cruelty.<ref name="BigShip" />
Additionally, Greep said that he was attempting to emulate the feeling of yearning, "where it's something you're reaching but you can't get", and the tension involved with it. This was something Greep was already drawn to in music and was able to focus on with the album's lyrical themes. Greep likened "writing an entire album from the perspective of pathetic men" to "going down a rabbit hole", and chose this topic because he thought it was something not often explored.<ref name="SMH" />
''Slant Magazine'' described the album's lyrical content as a take on toxic masculinity,<ref name="Slant">{{Cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/geordie-greep-the-new-sound-album-review/|title=Geordie Greep 'The New Sound' Review: Former Black Midi Frontman Takes on Toxic Masculinity|last=Erickson|first=Steve|work=Slant Magazine|date=2024-09-30|access-date=2025-09-18}}</ref> while ''SCAD Radio'' of Savannah College of Art and Design characterized it as Greep "[tearing] down the manosphere".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scadradio.org/2025/02/04/the-divine-stleazebag-how-geordie-greep-tears-down-the-manosphere/|last=Washington|first=TJ|title=The divine sleazebag: how Geordie Greep tears down the manosphere|work=SCAD Radio|date=2025-02-04|access-date=2025-09-18}}</ref> Shaad D'Souza of ''The Guardian'' wrote that while Greep's lyrics were satirical, the music felt earnest, supported by Greep's vocal performance being "in the style of a Broadway performer".<ref name="Guardian" />
==Release and promotion== [[File:Geordie Greep performing live in Mexico City in 2025.jpg|thumb|Greep, in 2025, during his album tour in Mexico City.|left]] To release the album, Greep signed a one-album deal with Rough Trade Records, who had previously released each of Black Midi's studio albums: "I got a one-album deal with Rough Trade, and that was after I'd already done most of the recording. The album was basically finished, but then the producer [Seth Evans] had to pay a mixing engineer, so I went to Rough Trade and it was great. They said, 'Alright, the album's already done, so that's it.' There was no 'It needs a single' or anything. It's never been like that with them anyway."<ref name="LastDonut"/>
Greep announced a listening party for the album on 9 September 2024 at Williamsburg Pizza in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Winners of a raffle were given the chance to listen to the album a month before its release with Greep in a trolley across Brooklyn.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pearis |first=Bill |date=2024-08-20 |title=black midi's Geordie Greep announces debut solo album & 2025 tour, shares "Holy, Holy" video |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/black-midis-geordie-greep-announces-debut-solo-album-2025-tour-shares-holy-holy-video/ |website=BrooklynVegan |access-date=2024-10-06 |archive-date=2024-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240830000511/https://www.brooklynvegan.com/black-midis-geordie-greep-announces-debut-solo-album-2025-tour-shares-holy-holy-video/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Later that week, Greep made his live solo debut in the United States with four shows in New York City held in four different small venues, joined by a backing band of percussionist Santiago Moyano, drummer Charlie Schefft, bassist David Strawn and keyboardist Cameron Campbell.<ref name="blistein-2024" /> ''The New Sound'' was released on 4 October 2024 through Rough Trade Records on 2xLP and CD.<ref name="Line" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.roughtrade.com/en-us/product/geordie-greep/the-new-sound|title=Geordie Greep - The New Sound|publisher=Rough Trade Records|access-date=20 October 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://roughtraderecords.com/wp/2024/08/20/geordie-greep-of-black-midi-announces-debut-solo-album-the-new-sound/|title=Geordie Greep (of black midi) Announces Debut Solo Album 'The New Sound'|publisher=Rough Trade Records|date=20 August 2024|access-date=20 October 2025}}</ref>
Greep also added an October–December 2024 tour of Europe, a winter 2025 tour of the United States, February 2025 dates in Japan and further spring 2025 dates in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Monroe |first=Jazz |date=2024-10-01 |title=Geordie Greep Adds Tour Dates, Shares New Song "Blues" |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/geordie-greep-adds-tour-dates-shares-new-song-blues-listen/ |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | ADM = | MC = 81/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-new-sound/geordie-greep|title=Metacritic Review|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=20 December 2024|archive-date=7 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007095315/https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-new-sound/geordie-greep|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev1 = ''Clash'' | rev1score = 8/10<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/geordie-greep-the-new-sound/|title=Clash Magazine Review|work=Clash|last=Murphy|first=Liam|date=14 October 2024|access-date=18 October 2024|archive-date=14 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214044854/https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/geordie-greep-the-new-sound/|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Loud and Quiet'' | rev2score = 10/10<ref name="LQ">{{cite web|url=https://www.loudandquiet.com/reviews/geordie-greep-the-new-sound/|title=Loud and Quiet Review|work=Loud and Quiet|last=Cashin|first=Cal|date=1 October 2024|access-date=5 October 2024}}</ref> | rev3 = ''MusicOMH'' | rev3score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/geordie-greep-the-new-sound|title=MusicOMH Review|work=MusicOMH|last=Murphy|first=John|date=2 October 2024|access-date=5 October 2024|archive-date=4 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004100250/https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/geordie-greep-the-new-sound|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev4 = ''NME'' | rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="NME">{{cite web |title=Geordie Greep – 'The New Sound' review: dazzling musicality swamped by a flood of ideas |date=4 October 2024 |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/geordie-greep-new-sound-album-review-black-midi-3799535 |publisher=NME |access-date=5 October 2024 |archive-date=4 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004140909/https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/geordie-greep-new-sound-album-review-black-midi-3799535 |url-status=live }}</ref> | rev5 = ''Our Culture Mag'' | rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="OC">{{cite web |title=Album Review: Geordie Greep, 'The New Sound' |date=3 October 2024 |url=https://ourculturemag.com/2024/10/03/album-review-geordie-greep-the-new-sound/ |publisher=Our Culture Magazine |access-date=5 October 2024}}</ref> | rev6 = ''Slant Magazine'' | rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/geordie-greep-the-new-sound-album-review/|title=Slant Magazine Review|work=Slant Magazine|last=Erickson|first=Steve|date=30 September 2024|access-date=5 October 2024|archive-date=5 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241005202953/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/geordie-greep-the-new-sound-album-review/|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev7 = ''Pitchfork'' | rev7score = 7.2/10<ref name="PFR">{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/geordie-greep-the-new-sound/|title=Pitchfork Review|work=Pitchfork|last=Sartini Garner|first=Sadie|date=9 October 2024|access-date=9 October 2024}}</ref> }}
{{Metacritic album prose|The New Sound||81|12}}<ref name="MC"/>
Writing for ''Our Culture Mag'', Konstantinos Pappis praised ''The New Sound'' by saying "beyond the irreverence and debauchery of it all, something about where Greep leaves things cuts right to the bone" and described the "unusually poignant" lyrics of songs like "The Magician", while also acknowledging that the record's themes can potentially evoke "a difficult feeling to engage with for an entire album".<ref name="OC" />
Huw Baines from ''NME'' noted that the record was "not necessarily trying to be clever – more that the sheer weight of its many ideas crushes the more visceral response that its obvious instrumental swagger demands from its listener."<ref name="NME"/>
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' declared of ''The New Sound'' that "the incel era finally has its first classic album", detailing how Greep "skewers" the characters who narrate the album's songs, while noting the nuance between mocking the "twisted, deluded, undesired" narrators, at the same time evoking sympathy for the same characters who are lost in a "solemn fantasy". Reviewer Robert Moran described the album's composition as "ever-challenging" and "filled with intricate instrumentation and spitting verbiage".<ref name="SMH" />
Cal Cashin of ''Loud and Quiet'' gave the album a perfect score, commenting that ''The New Sound'' was "somehow bolder, stranger and more accessible than [Greep's] work with Black Midi", which Cashin called a "remarkable feat".<ref name="LQ" />
''Rolling Stone'' placed ''The New Sound'' among the 50 best indie rock album released in 2024,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-indie-rock-albums-2024-1235189650/marina-allen-eight-pointed-star-1235191230/|title=The 50 Best Indie Rock Albums of 2024|work=Rolling Stone|date=21 December 2024|access-date=11 October 2025}}</ref> while it ranked at number six on ''Loud and Quiet''{{'}}s "Albums of the Year 2024" list.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://loudandquiet.substack.com/p/loud-and-quiet-albums-of-the-year-2024|title=Loud And Quiet Albums of the Year 2024|work=Loud and Quiet|date=28 November 2024|access-date=11 October 2025}}</ref> ''The New Sound'' topped Mike Mineo's list of the best albums of 2024 for ''Obscure Sound''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.obscuresound.com/2024/12/best-albums-of-2024/|last=Mineo|first=Mike|author-link=Mike Mineo|title=Best Albums of 2024|date=20 December 2024|access-date=11 October 2025}}</ref> ''The New Sound'' was also included on various other year-end "best of" lists for 2024, including by ''Slant Magazine''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/the-50-best-albums-of-2024/|title=The 50 Best Albums of 2024|work=Slant Magazine|date=12 December 2024|access-date=11 October 2025}}</ref> and ''Under the Radar''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.undertheradarmag.com/lists/under_the_radars_top_100_albums_of_2024_part_1_1_50|title=Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2024 Part 1 (#1-50)|work=Under the Radar|date=29 December 2024|access-date=11 October 2025}}</ref>
==Track listing== {{Track listing | all_writing = Geordie Greep, except where noted.<ref name="album notes" /> | headline = ''The New Sound'' track listing | total_length = 62:55 | title1 = Blues | length1 = 5:42 | title2 = Terra | length2 = 4:18 | title3 = Holy, Holy | length3 = 6:03 | title4 = The New Sound | length4 = 4:47 | title5 = Walk Up | length5 = 4:25 | title6 = Through a War | writer6 = {{hlist|Geordie Greep|Seth Evans}} | length6 = 5:44 | title7 = Bongo Season | length7 = 2:35 | title8 = Motorbike | writer8 = {{hlist|Geordie Greep|Seth Evans}} | note8 = featuring Seth Evans | length8 = 6:01 | title9 = As If Waltz | length9 = 7:53 | title10 = The Magician | length10 = 12:20 | title11 = If You Are But a Dream | writer11 = {{hlist|Jack Fulton|Moe Jaffe|Nal Bonx}} | length11 = 3:07 }} {{Track listing | headline = 2xLP Bonus 7" Vinyl Edition singles | total_length = 70:21 | title12 = I Love My Family | length12 = 4:08 | title13 = Aching Knees | length13 = 3:38 }}
==Personnel== ===Musicians=== * Geordie Greep - acoustic & electric guitar; vocals (1-3, 5-7, 9-11), synthesizers (tracks 1-3, 5, 6, 8-10), accordion (tracks 2, 9, 10), fretless bass guitar (track 3), organ (tracks 4, 5), piano (tracks 5, 6, 9, 10), keyboards (tracks 5, 6), electric piano (tracks 7, 10), additional bass guitar (track 10) * Seth "Shank" Evans - bass guitar (tracks 1, 5, 8, 10), vocals (tracks 3, 8), talkbox (tracks 5), oboe (tracks 9), piano (tracks 8, 10), percussion (track 10) * Morgan Simpson - drums (tracks 1, 5, 8) * Adé Eggún Crispin Robinson - percussion (tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, 8) * Deschanel Gordon - piano (tracks 1-3, 5, 6, 8) * Diarra Walcot-Lvanhoe - piano (tracks 2, 3, 7, 11) * Thiaguinho Silva - drums (tracks 2, 3, 6, 9), percussion (track 6) * Fabio Sá - bass guitar (tracks 2, 3, 6, 9) * Dennys Silva - percussion (tracks 2, 3, 9) * Felix Stephens - cello (track 2) * Chicao Montorfano - electric piano (tracks 3, 6, 9) * Felix Gonzalez - vocals (track 3) * Deji Ijishakin - saxophone (tracks 3, 5, 6, 8) * Daniel Rogerson - guitar (tracks 4, 7) * Giles King-Ashong - drums (tracks 4, 7) * Michael Dunlop - bass guitar (tracks 4, 7) * John Jones - double bass solo (track 4) * Paul Jones - guitar solo (track 9), double bass (track 11) * Andrei Martynchyk - drums (track 10)
'''Horn ensemble''' (tracks 1-4, 6, 11) * Billy Rowlatt - trumpet * Freddie Wordsworth - trumpet * Joe Bristow - trombone * Matt Seddon - trombone
'''String quartet''' (tracks 9, 10) * Nina Lim - violin * Kuari May - violin * Freya Hicks - viola * Felix Stephens - cello
===Technical=== * Seth "Shank" Evans – production * Geordie Greep – co–production; horn arrangements (tracks 1–4, 6) * Nathan Boddy – mastering, mixing * Liam Hebb – engineering (tracks 1, 5, 8) * Margo Broom – engineering (tracks 1, 5, 8) * Nathan Ridley – engineering (tracks 1, 5, 8) * Rafa Barreto – engineering (tracks 2, 3, 9) * Sid Souza – engineering (tracks 2, 3, 9) * Thiago "Big" Rabello – engineering (tracks 2, 3, 9) * Victor Neri – engineering (tracks 2, 3, 9) * Simone Gallazio – engineering (tracks 3, 4, 7, 10, 11) * Tuto Ferraz – engineering (track 6) * Felix Stephens – string arrangements (tracks 9, 10) * Harvey Grant – special arrangement for horns, piano, double bass, and vocal (track 11)
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+ Chart performance for ''The New Sound'' ! scope="col"| Chart (2024) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- ! scope="row"| Croatian International Albums (HDU)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.top-lista.hr/www/lista-prodaje-strano-53-tjedan-2024/|title=Lista prodaje 53. tjedan 2024.|date=7 January 2025|publisher=HDU |language=hr|access-date=9 January 2025|archive-date=9 January 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250109072159/https://www.top-lista.hr/www/lista-prodaje-strano-53-tjedan-2024/|url-status=live}}</ref> | 3 |- {{album chart|Portugal|89|artist=Geordie Greep|album=The New Sound|rowheader=true|access-date=25 October 2024}} |- {{album chart|Scotland|28|date=20241011|rowheader=true|access-date=18 October 2024}} |- {{album chart|UK2|84|date=20241011|rowheader=true|access-date=11 October 2024}} |- {{album chart|UKDigital|23|date=20241011|rowheader=true|access-date=18 October 2024}} |- {{album chart|UKIndependent|10|date=20241011|rowheader=true|access-date=18 October 2024}} |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Discogs master|3612706|type=album}} * {{MusicBrainz release group|mbid=171db008-7f7b-48d3-a3b5-640d6ea41aa7|name=The New Sound}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:New Sound, The}} Category:2024 debut albums Category:Rough Trade Records albums Category:Satirical albums Category:Works about incel subculture