Charley Geary Drops A Gorgeous and Theatrically Driven Record
If you are looking for something that leans towards the theatrical and gives bursts of pop sensibility, intense moments of cinematic backbone, and huge, atmospheric soundscapes, then I have the exact thing for you.
Charley Geary's latest record wraps up a lot of those elements into one big record, and it does so with personality to boot.
Eternal Voice is a robust piece of work that features a lot of almost dreamlike, ethereal piano work that translates into a boisterous, theatrical aesthetic, wrapping around you and letting you get swallowed up by the soundscapes it delivers.
"Together" is a perfect example of exactly what I mean. This is a track that pushes this emotional boundary and does so with such attention to detail and such a sort of graceful approach that you get swept up by it.
The ambient and spacious underbellies from songs like this one give you layers of depth. You can tell that the songs are coming from authentic places and that each one has a story to tell.
"I Can Hear The Wind Call" is a single that really stands tall amongst the rest, as it breeds a sort of early '90s or late '80s pop sensibility and sound, but does so with that elegance I mentioned earlier. This is a song that showcases a lot of character, and I find that this is an element you end up really holding on to throughout the entire record.
This is mostly because the songs are sort of connected in different ways. I'm not saying this is a concept record per se; however, listening to the whole thing in one shot really gives you a bigger experience, and you can hear the consistency throughout the songs.
They serve almost like chapters in someone's life.
The synths and keys give the song a bit of a sonic presence that feels good to soak in. There is a reverb effect on the vocals, which are already passionately performed, but that reverb adds a little bit of distance, which makes it feel more real somehow.
The way the record was mixed, as a whole, also gives a little bit of a fantastical sensation.
This is what I mean when I say cinematic. There are layers of vastness coming from a lot of these tracks, and sometimes that happens because of the way the vocals are feeling, but other times it's because of the keys or synthesizers that are used to give the depth that the song needs.
These are like contemporary pop singles that have a certain kind of glimmer, shimmer, and warmth, all at once.
The tones of the instrumentation complement the vocals and vice versa.
There are some surprises around the corners of the record as well. One of my favorite tracks, "Spin," has a pleasantly upbeat feel to it. This is a much more danceable song but still showcases a lot of that spacious or expansive tonality that a lot of the other songs do.
The vocals come through a little differently as well, with more hooks and less theatrics, more color and melody, and less drama. I dig both styles, but for this song, Charley knew exactly what to do.
Sounds like this has a different kind of impact, and I feel like they work really well in the places that they are. For example, this track in particular is about number seven. The whole album is 10 tracks in length, and it's good to have songs like this to sort of revive that energy.
"Release Me To Joy" features a bit more orchestration in terms of its instruments and progressions. You have strings that sort of fill the empty space and give a bit of lushness. This also works well in terms of the dynamic balance between his voice, which has a little bit of a deeper tone at times, and the instruments themselves.
When I mentioned how the instruments and vocals complement each other, this is a perfect example of exactly that.
There is always that kind of space, but warmth, that you can swim through with a lot of the songs. The songs have a way of inviting you along for the ride. They want you to float alongside them, listen to the stories, and feel those theatrics shining through.
In that aspect, a lot of the record is a bit intense. There are a lot of rises and falls in that intensity as the record unfolds, and the artist is able to really paint certain pictures in your head lyrically because he can be quite detailed, but again, also very emotional.
There are certain elements about the lyrics that let the music come through with a bit of vulnerability, but it's not over the top. Instead, it's very relatable and connective.
"Very First Love" showcases a lot of that. That song happens early on in the record, and it really helps set a standard for what you can expect for a lot of the rest of it.
As I mentioned earlier, there are plenty of surprises happening throughout this album, so listening to it in full is my suggestion.
This is like an escape. The whole record gives you this brilliant and robust experience that pulls you into its atmosphere and sort of keeps you there.
The best part about it is that once you're in that atmosphere, you don't really want to leave.
This is one of the best contemporary pop records I've heard in a while, certainly the best of the year, and definitely something that showcases the artist's ability to write and perform in a way that leaves it to mark.
Absolutely take a deep dive into this record as soon as you can.
After I listened to the record, I wanted to have a sit-down with Charley Geary to find out where it all came from and what might be next for the artist.
So, while you listen to this album, have a read through our interview with the artist below.
Remember where you heard it first.
Charley Geary – Eternal Voice | BuzzSlayers Interview
Where did this release come from, and what is it about?
Eternal Voice began in 2000, when I started recording with Michael J. Carpenter and Juan Loren Zerimar. We worked on it until early 2003, when I became seriously ill with bipolar disorder and had to step away. The songs remained unfinished for more than two decades.
Occasionally, Michael and I would listen to those recordings. Hearing them played a significant role in my healing, but it was bittersweet. There was something of me in those songs that I could still connect with, alongside the thought that perhaps nobody beyond the two of us would ever hear them.
That happened in phases throughout this roughly twenty-five-year journey, through the ups and downs of bipolar disorder and a life largely in seclusion. Hollywood was happening just outside my front door, while my own world had become very small.
The album explores love, joy, spiritual searching, and self-examination. Completing it meant finally sharing a part of my life that had stayed private for so long. The original title, Listen to the Voice..., referred to that intuitive voice within. After all those years, Eternal Voice felt right. That voice was still there.
Did you self-produce the release, or did you bring in an outside producer?
The album was produced collaboratively by me, Michael J. Carpenter, and Juan Loren Zerimar. Together, we developed the writing, arrangements, and production.
Michael is also my life partner, so this project has been part of our shared life from its beginnings through its completion. It carries the work and creativity of all three of us.
How did this all start for you as an artist?
I grew up in Tampa, Florida, where I was adopted and raised in a Cuban and Puerto Rican family. Music became part of my life early on. I sang in school chorus, played piano, and began exploring songwriting as a teenager. One of my early songs was “Wondering,” which I wrote when I was seventeen.
I moved to Los Angeles at eighteen and became involved in clubs, stage, and television. My first CD club single, “I Love Love,” came out in 2000. Around that time, I met Michael and Loren, and our creative partnership led to the recordings that eventually became Eternal Voice.
What are you performing on this?
I’m the vocalist, including the different vocal parts and layers throughout the album. I also contributed to the writing, vocal arrangements, and production.
“Together” has a particularly personal story. I met an elderly woman, Enez Constance Johnson, whose poem “Together” was written in 1947 for her husband. She had a deep wish that she might someday hear it put to music. We were able to make that happen before she passed away. In the second verse, I sing all three parts of the harmony, bringing those voices together around her words.
The title track takes a different vocal journey. It has diverse vocal parts, powerful percussion, ethereal soundscapes, and a section sung in Latin. I think of it as a spiritual ride on a freight train through time and thought. There’s movement and intensity, but also room to drift into the atmosphere.
Did you record this at a bigger studio, or a home DAW setup?
Most of the original recording happened in a modest home studio in Fullerton. We used an old TEAC/TASCAM eight-track reel-to-reel recorder, along with Korg and Roland keyboards, MIDI arrangements, and Loren's amazing acoustic guitar playing. Much of that equipment was already vintage even then!
People have been surprised to learn how the album was recorded. Some have thought they were hearing something made in a much larger, high-end studio, perhaps on a twenty-four-track system. Knowing it came from that little eight-track setup makes the finished result especially meaningful to us.
Those original recordings became the foundation we returned to, completed, and had professionally mastered for the 2026 release.
I am hearing several approaches here! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Gloria Estefan, Sting, Lara Fabian, Fleetwood Mac, Jon Secada, and Barry Manilow are among my biggest musical influences.
That’s quite a range, and I think that variety comes through in the album. Strong melodies and expressive vocals are important to me, as are arrangements that give a song its own atmosphere and somewhere to take the listener.
Are you performing live right now, or is this a recording project?
This is a recording project. I’m not performing live at the moment. My focus has been completing these songs and finally sharing them after so many years. Reaching that point has been a significant milestone in itself.
Now that this is out, what’s next for you as an artist?
Right now, I want to give Eternal Voice a chance to find its listeners.
One response I’ve heard repeatedly is that people feel compelled to listen to the whole album again. A song becomes their favorite, and then, on another listen, a different track takes its place. I love hearing that. It makes the album feel as though it has a life of its own, revealing something different each time.
After spending so long wondering whether these songs would ever be heard, discovering what they mean to other people is a meaningful next chapter for me.
This was quite a release! Is there any advice you’d have for up-and-coming artists out there trying to get heard?
An unfinished project doesn’t necessarily have to be an abandoned one. Sometimes life changes the timetable in ways you could never have anticipated.
These songs remained important to me even when finishing them seemed unlikely. I would encourage artists to make work they believe in, find people they trust, and keep sharing it. An immediate response—or the absence of one—doesn’t tell you everything about what your music may eventually mean to someone.
Before we go, is there anything you want to say or express to listeners or fans?
Thank you for giving these songs your time, especially those who have listened more than once and shared what they discovered.
For years, these recordings were something Michael and I heard privately, carrying both comfort and sadness. Knowing they now exist in other people’s lives is difficult to put into words.
I hope you find something in the album that belongs to you—a feeling, a memory, a moment of joy, or a little companionship.
My deepest hope is that it also opens a greater awareness of, and closeness to God. It has brought that connection into my own life through full surrender. If these songs can open a door to that closeness of self for someone else, sharing them will mean even more to me.
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