Hospital Ships

Jordan Geiger's principle band is Minus Story, but maybe it should be his bedroom project, Hospital Ships. And no offense to Minus Story, but Geiger's debut, Oh, Ramona, showcases his talent for songwriting in a very understated way, recalling everything from the whiney, high-pitched talents of Neil Young to the mellow, warbled psychedelia in the vein of Mercury Rev.

The fourteen songs here rarely reach the three-minute range, with a handful under two minutes. You'd think that would limit Geiger, but it doesn't. All the songs seamlessly bleed into each other. Geiger's emotive abilities guide a sweeping, floating feeling as on opener "Bitter Radio Single," and the lo-fi, uplifting piano tune "Baby For J." Minus Story has been consistently cited as "followers" of The Flaming Lips and The Zombies. Hospital Ships, to a degree, still continues evoking those influences. But like a lot of home-recorded work, what you want to look for is a degree of effortless that comes with it. The idea is that the recorded work was done with little intention of being released; at the very least, the process is different than renting studio time to crank out a record. This is what Geiger accomplishes here the most.

There's a certain feeling of desperation during "Your Heart" and "Tired Of Growing Old" that presents Geiger in an isolated state. Those reference points go out the window as you become more invested in him. Oh, Ramona quietly is one of 2008's understated, unhyped albums, but take note—it's a fantastic collection of hauntingly quiet pop songs.

—Michael D. Ayers
11.05.08