We’ve all heard it before on albums constructed by teens: the ups and downs of young, artificial love. But this recent high school graduate shows a more mature side to the situation.

Geiger’s “Underage Thinking” is not your usual bubblegum pop record, however. On top of sounding like a rock ‘n’ roll version of John Mayer, Geiger wrote all the songs himself, and even plays guitar, piano, bass and drums on the album. The tracks chronologically tell a story about taking risks, falling in love, and then suffering from a broken heart. For example, the first track, “These Walls,” is an upbeat, poppy song about putting your heart on the line and just going for what you want. The second track, also the first single from the album, “For You I Will (Confidence),” is all about wanting what you cannot have.

In the title track to the album, Geiger admits to wanting to grow up and become independent, and to stop “thinking underage.” The later tracks, including “Seven Days Without You” and “A Million Years,” are the deeper, almost dark songs about breaking up and the problems that accompany it. Even though most of the tracks are about relationships, they do not become repetitive. There is a song on this album for everyone: single, in a relationship, or just bitter.

Geiger’s raspy yet soothing vocals could easily turn him into a teen heartthrob within hours of his album’s release. His instrumental skills are not any worse: the short piano solo that starts the album’s first track might make some think he’s more jazz than pop/rock, while “Air Dry,” which could become the breakup song of the year, opens with more hard rock, almost angry piano playing.

For his first album, Geiger shows even music’s toughest critics that not every teenage artist is the same.

Give this track a second listen: “Air Dry.”

Our rating:
4 stars (out of 5)