Gee Whiz! drops debut album

From the perhaps unexpected surroundings of Bologna, Gee Whiz! have landed as one of the more imaginative new arrivals in the psychedelic rock landscape. The quartet of Michele Giuliani, Paul Pieretto, Mariagiulia Degli Amori and Giacomo Gelati came together in 2024, united by a shared desire to stretch the familiar language of indie rock into something far more colourful and wildly unpredictable.

Their music spins psychedelic threads into a bright, dizzying spectacle where fuzzy guitars, playful instrumentation and distorted vocals swirl together in constant motion. The group forge their sound with a sense of theatrical joy, treating songs as spaces where texture and imagination can collide freely; glockenspiels sit alongside thick guitar tones, while warped vocal lines snake through the lively arrangement.

It’s a sonic fabric that feels deliberately unrestrained, as though every new idea is welcomed into the mix if it adds another shade to the overall picture. Listening to Gee Whiz! can feel like stepping into a new version of the Summer of Love, reimagined through a futuristic kaleidoscope. Elements of pop and classic psychedelia drift through their sound, but they don’t stay still for long, those influences fold into each other, mutating into something that constantly reshapes itself while still holding onto the pure excitement of four musicians creating together.

The first showcase of their imaginative output arrived last November with their debut single, “Mr. Dinosaur” and now that early taste has expanded with the release of their debut album How To Manage A Crisis, issued through the We Were Never Being Boring Collective. Across ten tracks, the record builds a high-energy world dashed with hook-driven melodies, propulsive rhythms and power pop appeal.

The jangly plucks of guitar on opening track “Hide & Seek” flow into skanked rhythms as rattling drums and commanding vocal delivery combine to form a punchy rock jam brimming with memorable leads and wrapped in a hazy psych vibe. The band’s debut single “Mr. Dinosaur” glides with delicate rhythmic sway, casting a dreamy scene where twinkling instrumental chimes, pattering percussion and breezy guitars form a mellow backdrop for the expressive vocals to float above.

Jittery energy underpins “Big Fireworks,” the first song written for the album, serving up an invigorating outing bursting with nostalgia and a need to escape, thematically imagining a return to the “good old days” with the same “good old fellas,” packaged in a thrilling collision of rustling drums, crunchy guitars and bright synths. Other highlights come with tracks like “My Own” with its laid back guitar strums, woozy instrumental tones, steady drums and dynamic vocal performance crafting an instantly catchy soundscape that channels Britpop and Madchester stylings.

“Cocktail Umbrellas” buzzes into focus with feedback tones before erupting into a raucous punk-inflected rock experience packed full of belted vocals, splashing drums and slick rhythmic switch ups. Closing the record with “Goodnight,” jaunty piano lines flicker through a hazy soundscape before the song hops into a smooth outing of soft instrumentation, shuffling drums and tender vocals to form a gentle finale to the band’s sensational debut album.

Listen to How To Manage A Crisis below