Review: Genie Cries - The Limits of Deviation

Genie Cries is a British progressive rock trio consisting of three brothers: Ian, Neil, and Gary Gordon. You might be familiar with Ian Gordon’s work as he is the mastermind behind HorrorBabble, a channel of horror audiobooks. Ian narrates classic horror stories from the masters—H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, to name a few—as well as contemporary horror, featuring some of his own writings, including his series about paranormal investigator Peter Van Melsen. I highly recommend lending your ear to it if you’re a fan of horror literature. You’ll find a link to HorrorBabble at the bottom of this review. Ian is also involved in solo musical projects for which I’ll also post a link below.

Back to Genie Cries. The Limits of Deviation is the band’s debut album which explores a broad range of concepts. If you’ve missed the days of classic prog rock, then you’ll be thrilled with this album. I hear influences from Yes, Genesis, Kansas, Styx, and Rush on this LP. From the get-go, “Stand Your Ground” reminded me of modern-day Kansas’ output; it’s a beautiful song to get the record going. It’s got a cool piano and synths intro as well as a catchy chorus. “Sink” is one of the highlights of the album with its head-bobbing riffs and poppy vibe; definitely one of the most accessible songs on here. “Light That Splits the Cloud” is a slower number and a beauty of a song channeling Rush at times. “Take the Time” is a gentle ballad with some terrific heartfelt vocals from Ian. “Seven Boats” is 7 minutes of very proggy rock, and features familiar synth passages drawn from classic prog blueprints. “Verbrennen”, which is German for “burn” or “to burn”, is another strong track with a gorgeous string section. “Windows” is a solid cut divided into different movements with superb guitar parts and solo. “Palace in the Sky” is a 12-minute epic, both in length and in scope, paying homage to video games where the hero must rescue his princess. Done in the tradition of classic lengthy prog epics, it’s my pick for my favorite track on the record. The album comes to an end with “Landslide”, which isn’t a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song, but rather a warm, slow song that perfectly wraps up this musical journey.

The Limits of Deviation is a breath of fresh air. Running at 55 minutes for its nine songs, it’s a wonderful throwback to the good old days of prog rock from the late ‘70s/early ‘80s that I personally am very fond of. The Gordon brothers complete each other splendidly and have crafted a gem of an album. From their first-rate musicianship to their dreamy songwriting, Genie Cries provides its listeners with a warm sonic landscape that you’ll want to revisit often.

Genie Cries’ Bandcamp page: https://geniecries.bandcamp.com/album/the-limits-of-deviation

HorrorBabble’s Bandcamp page: https://horrorbabble.bandcamp.com/

Ian Gordon’s Bandcamp page: https://iangordon.bandcamp.com/