The Good Good : Furrows

The Good Good is not a band that makes a whole lot of sense. Like contemporaries Deerhoof and Flying, to whom the band also occasionally resembles sonically, GG makes schizophrenic, sometimes childlike, sometimes frightening, often frenetic, and consistently confusing music. It just so happens that this whirlwind mix of conflicting sounds and emotions happens to be a thoroughly engaging one as well.

The reason a band like The Good Good succeeds is because they hold nothing back. Their debut release, a composite of a pair of EPs titled Furrows, maintains a kitchen sink approach throughout, paying little mind to conventional songwriting, yet producing a surprisingly accessible affair regardless. Opener “Silhouette” may initially seem exotic and robotic, but ultimately becomes a hard-rocking raveup, closing off with a nursery rhyme about alligator pie. “Clouds” combines sampled children’s voices, which create a bizarre counter to the group’s sing-songy group harmonies. A music box opens “All the Voices,” which builds into a ghostly cacophony of spectral voices and plucked metal keys. And “Cloud Forest” marches along like a soldier from the Land of Misfit Toys, yet displays one of the band’s most straightforward moments, and one of the strongest as well.

You may begin to see a pattern developing here, or rather the absence of one. In the world of Good Good, whatever sounds interesting goes into the musical pot, and Furrows‘ cauldron is bubbling over with sonic curiosities. Just when everything seemed to be getting harsher and more percussive, a gentle acoustic tune like “Flies” appears to interrupt the assault and let everything settle temporarily, soon building up again into a heavenly ascent through horns and organ. “Wooden Cell,” meanwhile, reverts to an actual guitar pop sound, with roughly gorgeous chords and fiercely driven beats.

Something odd certainly goes on in the warped art-pop world of The Good Good, but it’s much to the listener’s benefit. Somehow, this bizarre randomness gels into a cohesive whole, making for a truly unusual, yet nonetheless fantastic listening experience. Good, good, indeed.

Similar Albums:
Deerhoof – The Runners Four
Flying – Just One Second Ago Broken Eggshell
Shapes and Sizes – Shapes and Sizes