here we go again… by Mikayla Geier

Review written by Harana

here we go again… could be the thought of a disgruntled indie pop fan tired of hearing the same sounds and sob stories, but with this EP, listeners can enjoy a breath of fresh air. Following a few years of musical hiatus and a short 1st EP, here we go again… is a collection of sweetly sung but lyrically blunt stories that Mikayla Geier wraps in sounds reminiscent of whimsical fairy tales, grungy angst, or playful independence and adventure – oftentimes in the same song. As a dancer, I appreciate how well Geier’s background as a ballerina is woven into the EP’s sound, narrative, and visuals. I also love how the production experiments with pop, rock, ballad, and bossa nova without straying too far from what appeals to a general audience. On a stage of new indie artists, Geier’s distinctive sound and storytelling results in a captivating project that deserves a spotlight.

Geier’s lyrics can be visceral, full of confessions. She describes the sickness and bitterness one can feel from being mistreated in relationships, begging and changing oneself for love and approval, and body image struggles. This is the most present in “Comatose”, “haven’t been the same since”, and “i don’t feel safe in my body”, with lyrics like “Legs hanging off of a rooftop,” “Something about making me feel dumb really seems to get you off,” and “I never grew up, I crawled into my skin.” The sadness and disgust conveyed in the lyrics can be heavy. You can tell with the use of imagery that these lyrics come from authentic experience, and they’re hard to ignore upon first listen with Geier’s clear diction.

Geier’s voice has a consistently sweet tone with her higher register, light delivery, and bright cadence, creating a captivating dichotomy with the bitter words she sings. At the same time, there’s a lot of fun elements happening with the instrumentals. Majority of the tracks on the EP are backed by upbeat drums and dancey synths, and all the songs have moments of interesting chord progressions, funky ear candy embellishments, and variation in instruments, emotional tone, and vocal rhythms. Each song is unpredictable but feels natural, enough to pique your interest but not be jarring.

Geier is bold in the opening track “Comatose,” sung notes creating a strong but satisfying dissonance with the spacey, almost psychedelic legato synth chords. While unexpected, the contrasting elements in her music pairs nicely. Her voice also fits well with softer instrumentals, like “little flower” with the bossa. Her vocals are also utilized for emotional storytelling, best heard in the track of the same title as the EP. Most of the song is performed with a light and gentle tone, but plays with sass and sarcasm at times, conveying a sense of tiredness and irritation towards herself by staying in a toxic relationship; and she conveys her bitterness towards this toxic partner in the 2nd prechorus, briefly using a grit and bite that’s not present in other tracks. Someone could argue that she could play with her emotional delivery more, but I honestly adore the subtle variations– I feel her overall tone conveys the bittersweet narrative very well, and it makes the variations hit harder emotionally. Her more emotional songs are very telling of her skill as an artist and storyteller.nova-like guitar rhythm– but her voice feels most at home with piano and orchestral strings, matching the vulnerability needed for “i don’t feel safe in my body”, as well as sections of “haven’t been the same since” and “lose a friend”. The gentler instruments create a heart-fluttering sound reminiscent of ballets or princess movies.

Her fun and playful tracks are skillfully created as well. Her voice is like honey in “Paris”, perfectly conveying the flirty and glamorous escapades she’s romanticizing. I’m not the biggest fan of “dead end”; it’s a little too repetitive soundwise and lyrically for my tastes, especially compared to the rest of the tracks. But you can tell she’s having fun with the vocal variation and twangy textures. My favorite track on the EP, “lose a friend”, balances the bittersweet and fun aspects of Geier’s music the best, conveying both the fear and excitement of losing a friend and gaining a lover through both the yearning and dancey instrumental sections. The end of the EP really surprised me– “dance of the trees” diverges from the EP’s overall consistency. The crunchy electric guitar, rapid percussion, intense lyrics, and Geier’s unique vocal performance make the track feel fantastical, conjuring the image of running away from a threatening force in the forest. But it makes a lot of sense thematically, the longing to free oneself from burdens sung about in the previous tracks.

Geier is light with her vocals, like a ballerina is light on her feet. She conveys heavy emotion and tragedy in a graceful and beautiful way, her performance making it seem easy and nonchalant– but everything is harder for performers behind the scenes. She has grown a lot artistically since her first EP, bloomington – She expands from the DIY sound and becomes more honest and poetic with her lyric writing, conveying intimate struggles from her own personal experiences. This project demonstrates Geier reflecting and coming to understand herself, her relationships, and her mental health experiences, crafting a relatable coming-of-age work for the current generation’s young adults. here we go again… is a defining project of Geier’s, establishing a visual and sonic identity that feels right and realized. Whether she stays closely aligned with this identity or continues to branch out is yet to be seen, but the creative voice and passion put into this EP makes me excited for future projects of hers.