Album review: Hospital Ships “Destruction In Yr Soul”

by Matt Caprioli

With the zing of The Silversun Pickups and the zen of Cat Stevens, Jordan Geiger’s gentle tenor gives his third record, “Destruction of YR Soul” an eerie sincerity that’s all too rare. The Kansas musician formed Hospital Ships five years ago.

Geiger has played trumpet and contributed vocals to bands like Minus Story and Shearwater, which may explain his comfort in experimenting vocally and lyrically.

While Hospital ships has roots in other bands, Geiger and the three other musicians that Geiger has selected have created a distinct sound. They’re sui generis to the max, producing a sound that is incomparable to any other contemporary band.

From the first track, “Come Back to Life,” Geiger establishes a tone that remains clam, clear, and powerful. “Desolation Waltz” mixes beautiful chords and the “wall of crap” that defines Minus Story. For something based so heavily on electronics, “Desolation Waltz” achieves an eerie authenticity that is hard to forget.

Most of the album’s lyrics have an insightful quality to them, though some fall painfully flat. “She is gone, gong gone/How can we go on?” is a tad melodramatic, even with Geiger’s startlingly voice.

Geiger attempts many tricks in this album. Some of them are less successful; the transitions in “If it speaks” are jarring and unpleasant. Not everything he tries is a success, but bless him for heading toward a new sound.