Goodnight and I Wish - Goodnight and I Wish EP Review
If you like your pop rooted in the 60s and pattered with the distinctive colours of folk, garage and psychedelia, then look no further.
rating: 3.5
So lets get formalities out of the way; there once was (still is) a band by the name of Neils Children, they were a post-punk band with psychedelic tendencies and as they went on began to delve a little deeper into the dark side, garage and psych rock. Its during this period, that I am forced to admit I have prior, I have history, with this band. I say that, I doubt theyll remember it, though I remember it well. It was a gig supporting The Horrors in Cardiff Barfly, who were touring in support of their debut album Strange House. (Dear Reader, you can skip over these next two paragraphs if you're only interested in reading a review, like I imagine you probably are)So before the gig, myself and two friends were making irritating nuisances of ourselves. While we queued one friend went for a piss round the corner and discovered some girls and the band Neils Children hanging about and getting stuff in through the back door. We decided to stick our oars in. Firstly bullshitting these girls, claiming to be cousins of The Horrors, mainly because we thought it was fun to lie. Then we went over to Neils Children, who we were all familiar with, and I was particularly keen on their cover of Lucifer Sam by Pink Floyd (Syd Barrett era, a hero of mine at the time). In discussion with the band and manager out back I was most disheartened to discover they no longer played it, one of my two friends went on a confusing banter tirade against the band simultaneously complimenting them and slagging them off, but they gave as good as they got. Upon seeing the back door open still, I walked through and into the main room, then back, informed my friends and we all went in, girls included. The kind of immature thrill made altogether pointless by the fact wed all paid for tickets. Neils Children played a cracking support set, though three unknown young men were heard to be chanting for Lucifer Sam until the band gave in and ripped through the cover.
Of course this story has no relevance here, bar showing the kind of dicks my friends and I could be in our younger days (its gotten worse, we are wankers, I mean who turns a snowball fight with Kids in Glass Houses into a brawl? That's right, I have hit a new low sinking to the level of shameless namedropping in shenanigans, there are for more legitimate reasons why I am a dick), oh and the fact that Neils Children split up and then have recently possibly reformed with possible up and coming gigs. What relation to Goodnight and I Wish does this have? I hear you cry, that is if you hadnt switched off from this review half a story ago, well the members of Neils Children started a dabbling in side projects, particularly true of founding members Brandon Jacobs and John Linger. Brandon Jacobs side project was and is Goodnight and I Wish.
Started way back when in 2008, initially as a purely solo creative outlet for Jacobs, the release of limited edition debut EP Dreams... Wishes & Fairy Tales on Modern Pop Records saw this side project soon chased up by some very positive reviews and support slots with the Long Blondes. On the back of this Jacobs was soon joined by Thomas Warren - former Neils Children roadie and bassist for Wretched Replica. The pair went on to record their debut full length A Ruffled Mind Makes a Restless Pillow in 2009, which was greeted with some high praise from the music press based around the pairs creativity, style and production quality. Fast forward to now, by way of heavy duty touring, line up additions and changes until the final four piece of Jacobs, Warren, Kelly Thomas and John Linger (of Neils Children fame) was finalised, and we arrive at their latest release. The self titled EP/mini album that you see before you, in review form.
So we have a full band, but what does that entail on record? Witch Doctor starts things started in a manner befitting its title and Goodnight and I Wish of old; slow, sparse and spooky but inviting. Once the atmospheric background noises and the eery twang of the guitar build with a steady 60s groove behind the kit have you hypnotised through repetitive momentum a chorus comes in that, whilst sustaining the darker undercurrent, bring to mind that other side of psychedelia; of whimsy and joy, though filtered through Syd Barrett's actual retina. The lead that comes in on electric is a brilliant touch and really adds to the overall body and feel of the song. Then as if out of left field Englands Never Looked So Good comes in on a breezy harmonica a la Bob Dylan opening up the even brighter and breezier bit of folk pop that it is, bringing to mind a bit of good ol fashioned Donovan. It fills out nicely with some sunshine melodies and that sneaky bit of electric lead snakes its way in again welcomely. As the EP progresses it becomes clear that opener Witch Doctor was a curve ball, and the main brunt of what this EP is offering you is very much on the sunny side of the psychedelic tree as opposed to in its shade where the shadow branches move like snakes. When You Came To Stay is a perfect example of this; a good dose of folk, romance, happy harmonies and some really catchy guitar work. I Spy starts off a little cheesily, kind of like of an obscure 60s folk band were the actual origin of Jump by Van Halens keyboard riff, but once the full band are in full swing its another little garage pop gem, reminiscent of The Coral but actually fresh out of the summer of love instead of emulating it. Oh, What a Day! comes over with a subdued Britpop charm with a touch of The Small Faces, sporting a lovely groove and laidback sound even though were easing up on the positivity up until this point. Come Home closes the EP in a similar fashion to how it began with minor chords straight from twanging guitar, reverb, garage stabs and some haunting vocal teamwork. Seeing the track work coincide with Witch Doctor as sinister bookends to a shelf of books about colours, and sunshine, and rainbows, and love. These are not the actual lyrical themes, just inane ramblings to make this metaphor work. As an introduction to what Goodnight and I Wish work like as a full band, theres a lot of promise here and its clear this band know what they like and they know how to make it. If you like your pop rooted in the 60s and pattered with the distinctive colours of folk, garage and psychedelia, then look no further. Until their full-full length comes along. http://www.myspace.com/goodnightandiwishhttp://www.facebook.com/lullabypop