Geology

I was instantly obsessed with this album when it came out (of nowhere). The first single, “Clovers,” was released in early 2019. Its otherworldly synth was unlike anything I had heard. My partner at the time was preparing for surgery after a serious injury, and I was in full-time caretaker mode. This song was the first hint of spring after a rough winter. The singles that followed delivered more of the same—a sound that was dialed in, fresh, and sentimental all at once. “Geology” is layered with an undulating bass line, synth, and drums. It contains vague yet watchful references to “talking on the stoop” and “skipping every other step.” To me, it seems the frontwoman, Barrie Lindsay, is writing about her younger self during a stretch of carefree-but-with-a-prickling-of-self-consciousness summers. It adds to the feeling to know that this track was a lowkey celebration of 90s girlhood. On the writing process, Barrie reflected how she was listening to a musician talk about being inspired by the soundtracks of teen movies like Clueless, She’s All That, and 10 Things I Hate About You: “It blew my mind because I loved that music but didn’t realize you could take it seriously. That’s where Geology came from.” The best part about growing up is realizing that you can love something unapologetically, and there is probably a likeminded community or subreddit out there for you. Here’s to reinventing pop music and reclaiming whatever else you’ve been afraid to embrace because of thinly veiled misogyny. Sweet sounding indie pop, here I come.

Check out this incisive essay on girlhood and media representation from 90s to 2010s for a deeper dive into the golden age of teen movies.

DeVille, Chris. “Barrie — ‘Geology’.” Stereogum, 22 Apr. 2019, https://www.stereogum.com/2040636/barrie-geology/music/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.