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10/11/08 Public Assembly , NY
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Team Genius still sound like big fat dorks (minus the ‘fat.’ They are probably very svelte). Only now they sound like grown-up dorks, with fancypants studio polish and cool thumbprint-made-from-cassette-tape-tape album artwork. Where the Hooray EP lacked in vocal brawn, Team G’s self-titled release has plenty of chub in its gut. It’s possible that Drew Hermiller’s a man now (often puberty is late); it’s also possible that Team Genius is actually a team of geniuses (possible but not probable). Genius or not, they certainly are—prepare yourself for a music pun—hitting the right notes with the boy-girl harmonies and the toe-tappin’ jangle pop. Let’s delve further, shall we?
Upon further observation, the cool thumbprint-made-from-cassette-tape-tape is actually a cool thumbprint-made-from-mixtape-tape, which is obviously a reference to season 2, episode 6 of the popular Nickelodeon show “Salute Your Shorts,” when Budnick develops a sad crush on Dina and (presumably) makes her many Slayer mixtapes; unfortunately she is unable to return his love because he has long hair. Eventually Budnick tries to change himself for Dina, who is a rich bitch and incapable of feelings; the pinnacle of this transformation is his decision to cut his hair. I think Team Genius is at a similar crossroad as Budnick, trying to find that balance between silly and serious, spontaneity and control, fun and work, long hair and Super Cuts crew cuts. The fellas (and ladies) may have one foot in the sticky mess of youth, but it’s clear that they’re making a genuine effort to explore broader avenues beyond the nerd-core limits.
“Take Me Home” is absolutely tits: snappy electro-funk-meets-downtown dance dive, as realized by a hip suburban jazz choir. Interestingly, the song is not about gettin’ bizay in da club and going home with lots of shorties; the lyrics, in fact, are “reflective” and serious (but still fun). Although they maintain some of the low-tech unfussiness that made Hooray enjoyable, the Team’s lyrical psyche has definitely evolved (“Let’s All Sleep Together” and “I’m Just an Idiot” have been replaced with “The Wise Ones All Give Up” and “Meanderings and Musings”). Even “Sing Song,” a cheeky little ditty-bop about singing and being loud but not sorry sounds better post-studio magic (and this was one of the standout tracks of Hooray).
Team Genius is still a Brooklyn band (but not the sucky one). They buy things at stores (just like us!), have Myspace pages (just like us!), and play live shows (not like us). They’re debut full-length album will be available tomorrow (Oct. 7). You can get it somewhere (the ‘where’ is TBD; check their website for more info).
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