Friday, 23 January 2015

Record Review - Goodnight Lenin

Published in the Shortlist section of The Sydney Morning Herald, January 23.

Goodnight Lenin
In The Fullness Of Time
Static Caravan

The West Midlands area of the UK in 2014 is about as far away as you can get from the West Coast Americana sounds that ran warm and lush through the ‘70s, predominantly out of California. And yet Goodnight Lenin, releasing their debut LP from their verdant English home, are closer than most.

In The Fullness Of Time, mixed by Americana wunderkind Jonathan Wilson (credited as an early influence on the band’s sound), is a work that could have come straight out of a CSN&Y session, incorporating a more jagged, grunge influence as well, the end result being a debut well worth the wait.

The grunge edge gives the band a Crazy Horse vibe in places, tracks like ‘The Reason’ rumbling, all dark and rangy, while songs like ‘A Cautionary Tale’, with its country-strummed guitars, and ‘Another Day’, led by slow-burning piano, showcase a solid understanding of how this music can be so powerful. A very strong beginning for a band destined for bigger things.
3.5/5


Samuel J. Fell


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