Pet Genius

by Nadeem Ali

Cave In fella continues to explore his lighter side with playful psychedelic stoner pop

"The ‘Chromatic Blues’ album might have a lo-fi demoish quality to it but it has ideas, sweet melodies, sharp hooks and off kilter weirdness by the bucket load."

Cave In frontman Stephen Brodsky (vocals/guitar) is a restless fellow. Pet Genius is just the latest in a long line of projects he has been involved with over the last few years. Hooking up with fellow Cave In dude J.R. Connors on drums and the Octave Museum’s Johnny Northrup on bass Pet Genius’ eclectic psyche-rocking power-pop is a natural successor to Cave In, New Idea Society and the Octave Museum.

It has been a few years since Cave In’s unsuccessful major label dalliance. They returned to Hydra Head, their spiritual home, and released a dynamite record, ‘Perfect Pitch Black’. It was a very welcome return to the form and to the fold until the band decided to go on the dreaded ‘indefinite hiatus‘. Although the band insist they have not broken up there is still an uncertainty as to whether they will return. Thankfully the many musical offshoots should keep fans busy and maybe even forget about the band’s absence.

Throughout Cave In’s lifetime the individual members were free to explore and experiment with any extraneous ideas and inspirations outside the band through various side projects. These include Kid Kilowatt, Old Man Gloom, Zozobra, Doom Riders, Clouds, Sacrifice Poles and Brodsky’s aforementioned projects.

The ‘Chromatic Blues’ album might have a lo-fi demoish quality to it but it has ideas, sweet melodies, sharp hooks and off kilter weirdness by the bucket load. It is a whimsical little thing that occasionally bares its claws whenever things seem to be getting a little too cute. Pet Genius is kind of reminiscent of Matt Cameron’s Wellwater Experience but less expansive. That is not criticism because the album’s intimacy provides its own playful charms. Incorporating mischievous stoner pop, ‘Doomsday‘, delightful Beatles-esque power-pop, ‘The Visiting Dynamiter’, and heaving psyche-rock, ‘Erase The Speed Of Time’. ‘Chromatic Blues’ is an entertaining trip through Brodsky’s current musical obsessions. It comes dangerously close to self-indulgence but always knows the right time to move on before the cuteness just becomes infuriating.

Pet Genius is probably just another brief step on Brodsky’s entertainingly wayward musical journey. He has probably already started working on new ideas for a new band already. Pet Genius are probably already dead and buried but if Brodsky did decide to develop what he has started it would be a more than pleasant diversion until the return of Cave In.

Be the first to comment on this article