Good Old War - Good Old War
Rating
RIYL
Anthony GreenVampire Weekend
Days Away
Release Date
06/01/2010
Label
Sargent HouseTracklist
1.Good2.Here are the Problems
3. My Own Sinking Ship
4. Making My Life
5. Old
6. That’s Some Dream
7. Sneaky Louise
8. Get Some
9. While I’m Away
10. Woody’s Hood Boogie Woogie
11. My Name’s Sorrow
12. World Watching
13. I Should Go
14. Thinking of You
15. War
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After backing scene god Anthony Green on his well-received debut and releasing a well-received debut album of their own, Good Old War’s self-titled sophomore album has a decent amount of hype to live up to. Unfortunately, like most over-hyped second releases, Good Old War meets some expectations beautifully, but falls short when you look at it as a sum of its parts.
The first thing a listener will notice when they start track one, “Good”, is that Good Old War is immensely talented. Every song has numerous instances of tight, intricate and complicated vocal harmonies that would rival the best compositions Brian Wilson ever wrote, and not only are the harmonies great, but the voice of the band's singers, lead vocalist Keith Goodwin in particular, have the kind of vulnerable, pure voices that only come along every once in a while. Everything that comes out of Goodwin's mouth sounds effortless and has a stunningly earnest quality, making you feel like he is an old friend. The guitars, bass, drums and occasional accordion layer and weave throughout these songs, proving the band to be adept and even virtuosic musicians. More importantly, they show themselves to be songwriters full of fine ideas and that they aren’t afraid to take an unpredictable path. The recording quality on the album has a warm sheen over it that sounds perfect without sounding overly polished. The result of this combination is an album that gives off the air of being at a late-night beach bonfire with some friends who are much more talented than you will ever be but are kind enough to not rub it in your face.
So how could this album possibly not live up to the hype? The problem is that even though the band writes successful songs, they never really come out and grab the listener. I can understand the need for subtlety and nuance, and Good Old War is not the type of band to show off, but most of the album just runs together, with very few of the songs being indistinguishable from whatever songs come before or after them. The length of the album, at 15 songs, doesn’t help any either. After listening to the album a few times through, I can distinguish a generally good vibe from the album, but I’m having a hard time recalling any more than a few moments in particular that I enjoyed immensely. Unsurprisingly, the few moments on the record that do stand out are ones where the band branches out, such as the sing-and-clap closing chorus of “Sneaky Louise”, or the uncharacteristically busy and intense guitars in “Get Some”. Other than these two songs, everything is pretty, but not memorable.
I think my wife summed it up best when she called Good Old War nothing more than great background music. I’d have to agree. The band are technical experts in their instrumentation, and have achieved an album that you want to spend time with, but as nothing more than something to put in the background. If you want a more progressive, but less lame Jason Mraz or a less stiff Fleet Foxes, then look into Good Old War’s newest effort. But If you want something more than some good background music to a nighttime beach party, look elsewhere.
--Stephen Harris
Comments
Illinois
i listened to this album once, and i definately liked what i heard. it didn't really have that staying power though, so i haven't listened to it since. they sound a lot like vampire weekend, but unlike vampire weekend, i actually enjoyed listening to this band.
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Brooklyn, NY
i find that the more familiar i get with their songs, the more i like them. at least that's what happened to me with their debut. i've heard this album once and definitely dug it, but feel i will enjoy it more in time.
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Waterloo, Ontario
they were more than just anthony green's backing band, two of the dudes played in Days Away together and that band was phenomenal. I still have to give this a listen.
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