MUSICREVIEW Teddy Geiger Underage Thinking 3 Stars When a young male artist steps into the spotlight and gets emotional in his craft, he's often immediately typecast as either an angry or depressed emo kid or a touchy-feely one-man boy band. Lucky for Teddy Geiger, he's undeniably neither. Breaking free from the ubiquitous good-looking-guy-with-a-guitar stigma, Geiger creates soulful refrains and bluesy rhythm sections silhouetted by the tortured purity of his wildly original vocals in his debut album, Underage Thinking. Geiger blends the swoon-worthy crooner quality of an early John Mayer with the smoky vocals reminiscent of Jonny Lang. Aside from being a clever pun, the inverted title track "Thinking Underage" underscores the album's focus on the kind of raw, uncensored emotion that only a teenager can do justice. The melancholy song toys with the notion of taking off the rose-colored blinders of adolescence, choosing to see the world for what it is and accepting the consequences that come with uncensored knowledge of the way the world works. His intimate nature, heart-throb good looks and affable charm assure his eventual chart-topping destiny and probably will afford the would-be actor a stint on the WB's "One Tree Hill," a show known for its incorporation of new musical talents. The album's current hit single, "For You I Will (Confidence)" free falls effortlessly through the gut-wrenching acoustic neuroses of unearthing the courage to declare one's feelings for that special someone. Jazzy Maroon 5-esque piano and base lines mix up a Gavin DeGraw-meets-David Gray sound on the track "These Walls." Both Geiger's lyrical and instrumental styles bleed originality wrapped in earnest compassion. Impressive, considering he's only 17 years old. A true musical prodigy, Geiger not only writes his own material but also offers up his own guitar, piano, bass and drum abilities on his debut effort. The self-taught singer/songwriter already has begun to blow the top off the modern-day pop scene and continues to sway listeners with an unabashed honesty that one can't help but respect. An old soul - who's not even old enough to vote - Geiger has a musical vision that speaks volumes of his familiarity and comfort with his passion as he effortlessly weaves intricate chord changes and sophisticated key variations throughout his compositions. It's safe to say that this kid has definitely come to play. Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
