Cam Gersh – The Chief
Cam Gersh – The Chief – Album Review
Well would ya look at that…The Big Dog hath returned!
It was sometime around two years ago that I first got the opportunity to check out Cam Gersh’s music in a review I wrote in April of 2021, and I’m stoked to find that he’s still out there doin’ what he does best. He don’t talk much…so I know precious little about the guy other than that he makes badass beats, but hey man, when the music you make speaks volumes on your behalf, you don’t really need to go around slingin’ words like I do. I’m just glad the dude’s back with another record full of bangers, simple as that.
Like, for real – in this line of work I’m in, where you never have any idea of what’s gonna come back atcha when you push play, it’s really damn rad to know you can rely on what’s about to come outta your speakers. Cam’s got a gifted ear for sound, that much I remember – so I knew I’d be on solid ground when it finally came time to listen to his latest record called The Chief over this past week. No joke – if you think I’ve been blowing smoke, put this album on, roll on into the first cut called “Bens,” and you’ll know I’ve been spittin’ nothing but the straight unfiltered truth at ya. I don’t know about y’all, but I could pretty much curl up and live beside my speakers forever if THIS is the sound of what’s comin’ out of them. “Bens” is HUGE…the kind of monumental start that you can’t help but acknowledge for its greatness, and also subsequently wonder about how in the hell he’s gonna keep up to this standard of awesomeness over the next six tracks to follow. He’s had a couple years to spend in the lab though, so don’t doubt the man…Gersh not only knows how to make music that can’t help grabbing your attention, but when you listen to the layers of what goes into a track like “Bens,” you have to give him just as much credit for his composition & professional precision every bit as much as you do for his ideas overall. I still can’t get enough of “Bens” and I’ve been jamming this track every moment that I’ve been able to for a week or so straight…from the low-end to the high, the man’s production is sharp AF. “Bens” is the kind of cut that is built and designed to get you excited for whatever comes next…and you can check that as a mission accomplished – this track would be up there with some of the best of the year for sure.
I’m not even kidding when I say that “Bens” is so damn good, that there’s basically nowhere else to go but down. At the end of the day though, Cam’s no ordinary individual…this dude’s superhuman. He might be quiet as hell in real life or just hate talking to people like me behind the scenes, but when it comes to the craft, this dude displays incredible consistency and music you just wanna keep turning UP. I’m not gonna be the guy to lie to ya and say I like “Hype” just as much as “Bens,” because truthfully, I don’t think anyone’s actually going to feel that way – not even Gersh himself if I’m being honest with ya. That being said…don’t get my words remotely twisted…”Hype” is still an incredible cut, and it’s really not all that far off of the awesomeness of “Bens,” but with more of a low-key demeanor to start, you can instantly feel that it’s not gonna make quite the impact on you that the first track on The Chief did. And that’s OKAY y’all! Good lord – that happens, and it ain’t no thang. “Bens” sets a standard that would be ridiculously tough to keep up to, and in my opinion, Gersh has done just about everything he could do in effort to follow it up with something else that’s killer. “Hype” has that late-night driving feel to it…like you’d put this on repeat when you’re hitting the highway at three in the morning, and before you know it, you’d be home. It’s mesmerizing, hypnotic, enticing, and once again loaded up with addictive sound you never want to finish…just because it ain’t “Bens” don’t make “Hype” a bad track by any measure.
Besides – you wanna make a great first impression, and that’s exactly what Cam has done on The Chief. Trust me…anyone that pushes play and hears that first track, is gonna follow this album through to the end without hesitation. Whether that’s for the quality in his technique as a beat producer/Electro artist, or for the stellar ideas he’s pumping out – or quite likely BOTH – it only takes mere seconds to be hooked on what Cam is creating. Plus, after you lay down that undeniable single-worthy cut like “Bens,” and you do your best to follow it up with something as well-rounded as “Hype” – you end up resetting the dynamics…our ears naturally accept and understand that everything ain’t gonna be “Bens” and we allow for more creative flexibility, especially when the quality never drops one iota. Like, “Gg” is a decent cut, and I’d never dispute that, though I might have felt differently about it if Cam had tried to follow the opening track with this one – it would have been a much more noticeable drop. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that “Gg” is a somewhat ‘normal’ track for Cam Gersh, but it is kinda…there’s part of me that feels like he could roll out of bed and create a song like this with the talent he’s got. Where I’d say he’s still got some room to evolve and expand his craft, is probably in recognizing the true potency of his hooks and not being so stingy with the length of his tracks. Like…you’ll know what I mean when you reach the main hook of “Gg,” which occurs around the fifty-two second mark somewhere. That’s as irresistible of a moment in music as you’ve probably heard this year, and Gersh almost makes it seem like a complete afterthought, or just goin’ through the motions, because he specializes in awesomeness. For others out there, they’d stretch a moment like that into an entire six-minute epic, but for Cam, he’s in & out like he’s got somewhere else he’s gotta be, leaving us scratching our heads and wondering how he could be capable of creating so much kickassery at sheer will, yet not overly exploit any of it either. But hey…when a biggest ‘complaint’ is that the songs are simply too short, you’re doing something right.
At the halfway mark, I felt like Gersh stepped his game back up to the impressive level that the album started with – “Fly” is one heck of a track, and another cut that reveals how special this dude really is when it comes to the art of makin’ beats. From its jazzy undertones, to the pulse of synth melody on top, to the rhythm of his digital percussion, and all the clever additions he makes into “Fly” along the way – you gotta give credit where credit is due y’all…this is another completely exceptional set of ideas. And I suppose this is what I was getting at before when it comes to the length of his tracks – Cam’s pushed “Fly” over the three-minute mark for the first time on The Chief, and you can’t help but truly appreciate the way he’s used the extra length to his advantage. He’s kind of illustrated the point I was making…a few more seconds here and there doesn’t water down his material at all. If anything, it makes it that much more addictive and irresistible if you ask me – we get to spend longer with a track like “Fly” and it becomes that much more memorable as a result. Like, part of me is certain that “Hype” would have benefitted by being twice the length that it is, even though it still had an impossible hole to fill in this lineup coming after the magnificence of “Bens.” “Fly” is definitely a redemption track in every way though y’all…I mean, hell – I’d be willing to bet that there are many people out there that would feel just as strongly about this track as I did about the first cut. “Fly” will get ya noddin’ your head to the beat, or as a sign of approval…or again, both…either way, keep your chiropractor on speed dial friends.
From the credits we see, “Together” is the first collaborative cut on The Chief, marking the start of a series of’em that’ll take you through to the end from here. Enlisting Chandler G for the next three tracks, “Together” demonstrates that they’re an effective collaboration. I think a lot of people tend to get confused by what collabs are all about…it’s not always about bringing in someone that can do something you can’t – sometimes it’s as simple as wanting to work “Together” and nothing more. If I’m being real with ya, I’m not hearing a collaboration born out of necessity here, so much as it’s likely just a case of wanting to make music with each other, and I respect that. “Together” leans a bit more towards the Electro you know than Cam’s naturally innovative style…and that’s not a slight, it’s simply a fact. You’ll hear the kind of powerful synth-based melodies and moves that have made the genre what it is today, and perhaps less of a focus on doing things differently. The end results sparkle and shine; there’s no reason at all not to be completely proud of creating a perfect track, which is essentially what “Together” is no matter how you slice it. There might be a little bit less identity in a track like this, but that’s a credit to Chandler G’s contributions too…”Together” doesn’t necessarily sound like a Cam Gersh track, which suggests that they had somewhat equal input into what went into this song & how this cut came out. I like it! It’s got all the right ingredients, and there’s a massive amount of accessibility here.
As you slide on into “Parametric,” you get a clear sense of how this collaborative effort works and who is likely responsible for what. There’s definitely a noticeable bend in the sound as you hit these final three cuts, but ultimately, I think people out there will have no problem digging what they find. In fact, I think there’s definitely an argument to be made that the accessibility factor increases quite a bit over the course of the last three tracks, and while there’s a bit of a trade-off for that unpredictable wow-factor that The Chief started with, there’s something to be said for finishing the record on entirely solid ground too. “Parametric” is a reliable track for sure…the kind of song that I feel like I could put on at any time and nothing would stop me from enjoying it, no matter what mood I was in. I think there’s a little less identity in a cut like this one I suppose…it’s not necessarily generic, but again, less identifiable to the Cam Gersh sound we were rocking with at the start of The Chief. I dunno though…I like my “Bens” for sure, but I can’t really complain about anything I’m hearing – the quality is still there, and I like this combination of vibes that Cam & Chandler have been coming up with. “Parametric” even has a bit of a throwback element to it…somewhere in that realm of neon 80s sound to a degree, but nothing so dated that it doesn’t come across as completely fresh and built for the right here & now. I dig it…simple as that really. I don’t expect a track like “Parametric” to necessarily set the world on fire, but I really can’t see any dedicated Electro fans out there not digging on it too…it’s a really easy track to like and/or love.
The quality and professionalism in the production remains as consistent as ever throughout the final three tracks, which is really all we can ever hope for as listeners, in addition to some solid ideas of course, which Cam & Chandler go on to show they’ve got plenty of too. “Noble” is a good track to go out on…it’s got a really vibrant hook at its core that is certain to get noticed, and it’s surrounded by smartly serene moments that give this finale the dynamics you wanna hear to pull you in. And then of course, you’re only a stone’s throw away from “Bens” again if you’ve got The Chief on repeat, which I’d suggest you should. Anyhow. I felt like “Noble” was a great example of evocative, energetic Electro combined together…and it’s got some undeniably relevant vibes for what’s happening out there in the scene today as well. The main hook in “Noble” is nothing short of award-worthy if you ask me…and it’s a bit hard to argue that it doesn’t steal the whole show in comparison to the rest of what we hear, but hey – I’ll take what I can get when it sounds this good. They know the one I’m talkin’ about, and you will too – it shows up for the first time around the thirty-second mark, and it’s freakin’ brilliant in my opinion. Lots of great sounds and ideas swirling throughout The Chief without a doubt – it’s been awesome to have The Big Dog back in action behind the studio boards where he genuinely belongs. All seven of these tracks bring something tasty to your playlists…I’m confident you’ll all dig this record.
Find out more about Cam Gersh from his official website at: https://camgersh.com
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