THE GOODNIGHTS-More Than Anyone CD-EP
New Dundee band rising from the ashes of an old one, but it's far too good to start the old comparison game - instead, let's treat this truly as a new beginning.
The opening and title track becomes more and more infectious with every play. A band that boasts a very full sound led by a singer whose vocal is one of those excellent, almost self-harmonising type of vocals which Andy of Indianapolis had hithertoo made his own. The voice has a purity to it, infused with a sense of real emotion as well as a subtle strength that keeps you hooked. Speaking of hooks, the song itself doesn't really have distinctive hook or a chorus, but is simply flowing, delightful sounding track where the guitars chime with restraint, the keyboards fill the sound and the rhythm section keep it on the straight and narrow. Opening with acoustic guitar and joined by electric guitar and vocal gives the song a sense of Americana as the river of synth runs subtly underneath while the rhythm section remains strong and mid-paced, a brief piano melody providing a counterpoint to the spiraling guitars and soaring, smoothly sung lead vocal and harmonising, the song so endearing in the best possible way, as organ is added for extra effect and the whole thing sounds just like some lost '80's Americana gem of a track only so up to date as to be positively timeless. A heartfelt slice of superior songwriting and arranging.
"Save Me" opens up at a sharper pace with stuttering guitar riffs and flowing organ work over deeply solid drum beats and bas background, this time the vocal flying over a lurching rhythm and interweaving leads from the organ and guitars. Once again, there's a real emotional quality to the delivery of the song as it all rises to a crescendo, stops, then takes off into the chorus like a rocket, with a decidedly Faces-esque quality to the fire, before suddenly stopping and reverting to its origins courtesy of lilting piano melody and lightly flowing guitars, the vocal still retaining its light sense of drama and emotion before the whole thing takes off once more on its chorus-as-hook trip to the skies. Showcasing two sides to the band, both of which work within a single song, it ends on searing guitar leads and runaway rhythmic heat, before dropping back to a brief and restrained climax.
"Holding On" ends the EP on a really emotive high, this time the vocal really pushing itself to provide a sliding, gliding sea of dramatic delivery to add to its high-flying strength of purity. The arrangements of a more complex song veer from slow and delicate to strong an powerful, with the guitars, piano, organ and rhythm section all providing the flavours on a track that ranges from slow to lifting off, and a decided gem of a track, once again no discernible hook, yet one that revolves around such a catchy axis of quality, the whole thing almost becomes one giant hook.
You can't readily classify this band other than saying, alongside Indianapolis, they represent the skilled songwriting side of the Dundee Scene with a maturity and quality that wreaks of "album band".
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