After years of a fruitful career releasing albums under her own name on the small but noteworthy Park the Van label, Pepi Ginsberg has formed a band with some friends. The project and its eponymous debut are aptly named Companion. This first effort consists of a set of ten songs built on Ginsberg’s distinct vocal style, which operates in the forefront against a backdrop of 80s synths, distorted guitars, and a chorus of supporting vocals.
Ginsberg’s voice has a naturally high range, and the songs are best when she reels it in and balances it with more mid range notes. The exception is the opener, first single, and one of the album’s strongest songs, “20th Century Crime.” The song seems to have received more attention than most of the others and showcases the band doing everything they do well. It’s a strong first statement. Successive songs prove to be similar, offering subtle variations on this model, but feel less balanced. Notable are the songs’ percussive elements, which utilize toms and clicks more effectively than many indie rock bands of the present day.
The second single, “Only,” appears fourth on the album and is a more energetic take on the band’s style that the first, though some listeners will find Ginsberg’s shrieking as the song builds to be a bit overbearing. Indie rock-dom actually seems somewhat turned off by technically superior voices. It’s on the fifth track “My Country, Your USA” that the band really comes into its own—understated instrumentation yields to Ginsberg’s measured voice and interesting shifts that lead to a crescendo finale.
Here, the album becomes surprising, because I find the latter half to be far more convincing than the first. The songs are less direct and upbeat, but far more interesting and captivating. “Homegirl” is outstanding with Ginsberg’s voice feeling more relaxed and even than at any point before. “Blue Movie” is another achievement with a great guitar tone, tight pop, and stair-step vocal climbs. The track sets the band up to go out with a grand finale on the album’s best song, “New Age/Real Change.”
Companion is a young band and may still be in that awkward stage of building a relationship. They can take pride in the fact that they don’t sound like anyone else in particular—a rare quality these days. At the same time, they don’t particularly attempt to sound strange or unusual, another victory. The songs are unaffected and honest, which is undoubtedly the most charming aspect of the album. “Welcome to the new age,” Ginsberg sings on the album’s standout closer; she’s ushering it in with a cast of new friends. With some work and growth, they might just become lifelong Companions.
