"Bigger: Ten Songs About Georgette" is the sophomore solo effort from former Stickman Jones guitarist/vocalist Annie Quick. Though it is never made clear exactly who Georgette is, Quick offers 10 rocking tracks. Sadly, she tends to get lost while trying to experiment with other genres.
The album's opening track, "Hit Like a Man" shows real promise for the record, with a good Weezer-esque opening before settling into more of an alternative-rock chorus, which makes the song catchy, if not deeply memorable.
Another high point is the album's fifth track, "Bigger," when Quick really rocks out with a nasty, heavy rhythm guitar that works well with the song's simple lyrics: "You are not the next big thing/But I thought for a second you were."
Many of the album's songs focus on heartbreak, depression and disappointment. The unrelenting distorted guitars that charge through almost every song often mismatch Quick's high-pitched voice.
While most of the album consists of straight rock, Quick uses psychedelic intros and Indian vocal melodies on various tracks, and for the most part, it does not work.
A prime example is "Thrill," the album's seventh track, which begins with a spacey rhythm that Quick sings quite well before the song is taken over by a chorus chock-full of loud guitars and cymbal crashes. After the chorus, the song goes back to the psychedelic verse and it sounds great. Quick is apparently not satisfied and plays two more heavy-rock choruses, throwing the song out of whack.
While these flaws are difficult to ignore, "Bigger..." is not a bad album. There are songs with true passion ("Charmed" and the Smashing Pumpkins-influenced "Just For You"), and Quick should not be criticized too harshly for trying new things, even if they do not always work.
The bottom line is that Quick has made an album of good rock songs. But her playing technique will need some tweaking to match her voice for her next album. Although this album could have used a few second guesses, it is a good try.
This comes recommended for fans of Weezer, Juliana Hatfield and Sonic Youth.
