Good Old War: Only Way to Be Alone
Good Old War: Only Way to Be Alone
Also In The News
|
Century hero Andrew Strauss has admitted the rest of the England batting order will have to work hard when the first Test resumes in Chennai tomorrow. |  |
Friday, 12, Dec 2008 04:29
Sargent House, out now.
In a nutshell.
Bright-Eyed, bushy-tailed, acoustic, college, rock
What's it all about?
This debut 'collection of songs' from Pennsylvania acoustic rock trio Good Old War has been out since last September in the US, where it has apparently been making waves on college radio stations. The 12 bright, perky tracks on here do not venture too far from the tried and tested pop-rock template, but the catchy tunes help carry the album.
Who's it by?
Good Old War is the latest project from Keith GOODwin, Tim ArnOLD and Daniel SchWARtz (see what they've done there?), all of whom have appeared in various other more or less successful bands in a similar vein.
Goodwin and Arnold previously played together as part of Days Away. Arnold played with Schwartz in a group called Unlikely Cowboy. Goodwin has appeared as a guest on the Sound of Animals Fighting's second album, as well as on a song by the Starting Line. The three of them have recently been providing backing to Anthony Green. I could go on. The list of connections and collaborations is seemingly endless...
Basically if you've heard any folksy acoustic rock from Pennsylvania in recent years, there's a good chance one or more of these boys was involved.
As an example.
"I'm just looking for shelter/You're just holding my hand if I hold yours."
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
The lack of groundbreaking innovation on this record will mean it may never develop more than a cult following, unless someone decides to pluck one of the songs from obscurity to soundtrack a film like Garden State.
That said, I can imagine this becoming the backing to many American kids' college careers and any fans of the oeuvre of Conor Oberst, of Bright Eyes fame, ought to lap this up.
What the others say
"This record surprised me. It's easy going from beginning to end, but at no point is it boring." - mountaloha, musicemissions.com
"It's a simple, yet effective collection of songs so positive and pleasant, even the most hardened music snob will find it hard to resist.2 - Chris Nowling, chewinggumfortheears.blogspot.com
So is it any good?
I initially thought the album cover set the scene for this release, with the sepia-tinted paisley design warning the listener of the potential for folkish mediocrity within. The subtitle ("a collection of works by... "), the novel-like contents page and the musical notation accompanying the average lyrics in the inlay seemed to scream American college pretension.
But thankfully in this case the age-old adage of never judging a book by its cover holds true. The songs in this collection are beautifully arranged. Goodwin and Schwartz's intricate acoustic guitar lines are overlayed with two and even three-part harmonies and Arnold's accompanying percussion is perfectly understated, adding just the right amount of oomph to the compositions.
And most importantly for this kind of stripped-back acoustic rock, these boys know how to write a good tune. When the two songs buried at the end of an album are catchy enough to be released as singles, you know you''re onto a winner. While there is a slight dip in the middle of the album, every single song here is a worthy inclusion and Schwartz's opener Coney Island is so infectious it would melt even the hardest of critical hearts.
It's true that there is nothing groundbreaking about this album. Good Old War sound very similar to a million other folksy American indie bands. But while Goodwin, Arnold and Schwartz don't deviate far from the Bright Eyes-esque blueprint, they do it with a style and charm that deserves to win them many fans. Such is their feel for a bright, poppy tune that after a few listens I even began to think that album cover had a certain charm...
7/10
Tristan Kennedy