SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: GENUINE CONNECTION – I SWEAR

GENUINE CONNECTION
I SWEAR
INDEPENDENT

Based out of Brooklyn, NY, Genuine Connection have emerged with their debut EP, I Swear. The five-song record comes without the faintest warning of a preceding single giving their release a sense of urgency that matches with their unique and unrelenting sound.

The tight snap of the drums amid shoegaze-washed chords opens the record with the title track. As the vocals enter, there is an air of melancholy akin to that of The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan before the song breaks out into a swelling chorus. With each passing moment, “I Swear” is building, organically until Genuine Connection have created an all-consuming and entirely inescapable soundscape. There is an intoxicating quality to this song, something damn near impossible to replicate, let alone create on the opening track of your debut EP.

The remaining four tracks reflect a range of influences from shoegaze to post-rock emo alongside elements of stoner alternative rock. From the doomy weight of the outro on “Flower” to the listless longing and wailing guitars of “Peace,” I Swear is a highly emotive record. While Genuine Connection opens their EP with its strongest song, I Swear is a powerful body of work reminiscent for the early ‘90s while capturing the feeling and excitement of wading through a packed club as you unexpectedly stumble upon a new and thrilling band.

Clocking in at 17 minutes, Genuine Connection make a powerful first impression with I Swear. Across five songs, the band immediately establishes themselves as an independent tour de force that should leave listeners on the edge of their seat. Most impressively, at the heart of I Swear is a level of raw authenticity that makes for an indelible sonic identity that most artists only hope to hone after many releases, giving Genuine Connection a powerfully unique voice on their first outing.

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