By: Quyen Cobb
CHICAGO– On Friday March 21, 2025, California-based band, Greer, released their highly awaited debut album, “Big Smile,” following a four year hiatus, which came after two EPs and a handful of singles released between 2019 and 2021.
“Big Smile,” released on Epitaph Records, comes in at 38 minutes across 13 songs. The album contains multiple instrumental and acoustic tracks which are thoroughly mixed with ground-shaking, rockin’ pop classics.
Purveyors of guitar pop, as reflected by their prior discography, the foursome continue the trend on “Big Smile,” stacking the album with jangly guitars, ghostly harmonies, pop hooks, and lyrical longing. Their sound is recognizable, but it is far from the same: “Big Smile” offers something different—something otherworldly.
The band sounds tighter and more dynamic than ever before, incorporating an exploratory range of sounds, from synths to fuzz, embracing the modern and the retro. It’s electrifying!
Momentum builds on the first track, “Omnibus,” which starts off with shimmering noisy keys, layered guitars, and distorted vocals that are buried in the mix. “Omnibus” poses as an experimental soundscape that picks up when the vocals come to the forefront and the band kicks in, filling out the track.
The end of “Omnibus” leads listeners into the catchy, waltzing “One in the Same,” which might just be the most yearning song of the century and is followed by track three: “Had Enough,” a driving song that maintains the exact opposite sentiments, speaking to the general dissatisfaction with life and the disappointments that tend to come with it.
“Miracle Fighting Red Baron” is an instant classic. It’s both sneering and science-fictional. The bass line through the chorus is kicking, and the song builds and falls throughout its duration.
Track seven, “1994,” is expansive and flaunts Greer’s flexibility as a band, showcasing the thought that went into the Rob Schnapf’s production of the “Big Smile” as an entire album. Schnapf has also produced albums for artists like Beck, Dr. Dog, and FIDLAR. On “Test Virgin Opposites,” Greer flexed their discordant muscles, leaving listeners aware of the band’s depth of skill in conjunction with Schnapf’s production know-how.
“Big Smile” is not just for electric-guitar-music-lovers, there are plenty of ballads, acoustic tracks, and instrumentals for the more mellow listeners. If that’s more your speed, you might take note of “Fighter Pilot Eats a Lemon” or “She Knows.”
So, if you’re a fan of pensive lyricism, synthy guitar music, and songs you could cry to, Greer’s “Big Smile” is definitely an album to check out.
Greer will kick off their tour of the USA on May 30 in Phoenix, AZ. You can catch them in Chicago at Bottom Lounge on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
Website: https://greertheband.com/
Bandcamp: https://greertheband.bandcamp.com/album/big-smile
Greer – Big Smile
Released March 21, 2025 on Epitaph Records
By: Quyen Cobb
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