Geoff Palmer’s 2019 solo debut Pulling Out All The Stops is a modern pop punk classic. With each subsequent record, Palmer has fearlessly ventured beyond the confines of his initial successful formula. The pace of the music has become more laid back, the songwriting more diverse and ambitious. That’s not a bad thing though, and so far it has been a blast to tag along to the route Geoff Palmer is taking. His latest destination? An Otherwise Negative Situation. It’s album #4, or #3 if you only count the original albums and exclude last year’s Dee Dee King cover record.
Geoff Palmer created An Otherwise Negative Situation with his buddies Kurt Baker and Zach Sprague. Both Palmer and Sprague were also involved in the making of Baker’s recent Rock ‘N’ Roll Club which helps to understand why both of these record sound equally inspired and fun. Clearly, the synergy between these artists is palpable or perhaps it is simply a result of their sheer enjoyment of playing together?
While the album title and tracks like Give it Up, Dark Thoughts and Stuck With You may imply darker tones, the overarching theme feels much lighter. What shines through on the new LP is a desire for life in general, seizing the moment, and extend kindness to yourselves and others. “I am feeling good, you’re feeling good, we’re feeling good”, Palmer sings repeatedly in We Run. And in closer Like A Dove, Palmer sings “You never know what tomorrow holds, all I know is life is gold.” And who else than Geoff Palmer could write a song about FOMO? Even when the term induces weariness, Palmer will have you singing along and shaking your head in disbelief how FOMO can sound this catchy, this celebratory. It’s an unabashed highlight of a record that already achieves a high standard.
Another favorite is Surfin’ Nesbreska, which is the most pop punk and most classic Geoff Palmer song of the bunch. Then again, perhaps it is time to reevaluate our perception of what classic Geoff Palmer entails. Geoff Palmer has become an artist who hasn’t necessarily outgrown pop punk but is carving his own niche one album by a time. Keep ’em coming Geoff!
An Otherwise Negative Situation is out now on Stardumb Records.