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The Goodnight Loving hail from the good and honest authentic
upper American Midwest, where rock and roll has fed the soul since
the days of barnstorming state fair tours and traveling label showcases.
More specifically, The Goodnight Loving hails from Milwaukee, home
of a relatively diverse music history, which seems to have infused
itself into the aural core of this band in many forms. And as one
may suspect, they are indeed purveyors of good-and-honest authentic
music of many stripes on their latest release, The Goodnight Loving
Supper Club.
As a whole, the album puts its good foot a bit deeper into the alt-country/Americana
realm to a somewhat greater extent than anything else; however, the
songs as a whole reference a variety of stylistic touchstones in forms
as diverse as garage rock, country shuffle, and even the odd hint
of old timey bluegrass, but all shined up with the well-produced patina
of modern studio engineering. And yet, even with the diverse influences,
sequential listening reveals a fairly cohesive sound and consistent
tonality.
The vocals are somewhat light and airy, within the natural twang,
which seems to fit the emotional vibe of the record, but a special
treat is guest vocalist Katie Harder's performance in "Summer
Dream". Another particular standout track is the old school garage
rock jangler, "Doesn't Shake Me", which bears a strong resemblance
to that great 1990's revival combo, Fortune & Maltese.
Other parts of the album bring to mind the sounds of The Sadies,
or sometimes, The Soft Pack, both in the general tenor and
style of the music, and in the earnest way in which their recorded
work comes across.
Fans of either should really enjoy this band. And much like the
aforementioned, The Goodnight Loving goes about its business without
needless distraction, getting through its fifteen solid tracks,
with few songs even exceeding three minutes in length. Given the
relative compact nature of the proceedings the album stands up to
repeated listens in a short time span. Frankly, these songs are
exceedingly difficult to tire of. Particular highlights include
60's inflected indie rockers "The Pan" and "Into
A Grape".
The album just sounds flat out great. The multiple guitar tracks
never step on top of each other, and the ornamentations of pedal steel,
organ, and the like each seem exquisitely placed. At first listen,
this collection is inviting, entertaining, and as tasty as the veritable
supper club with its doors swung wide open. Diners at The Goodnight
Loving Supper Club will leave with their ears well sated, and
hungry for more.
-Dave Meyer (mondogarage)
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