Artist: The Goodnight Loving
Title: Supper Club
Release date: July 20
Label: Dirtnap
So, this Milwaukee band was supposed to play in Tempe on Saturday night. I'd seen on the Goner Records message board earlier this summer that they were touring the West and needed a Phoenix gig, so I set them up at the awesome Palo Verde Lounge with my band and a couple of others. Then, two weeks ago, I get a message from their former label that at their recent record-release show in Milwaukee, held just a couple of days before they were to hit the road, one of the band members quit. Tour's off.
Selfishly, I'm disappointed because I really wanted to see them perform after hearing their last record and, now, their new release, Supper Club, on the reliable Dirtnap record label out of Portland. But, first and foremost, I do hope the boys work out their differences and get back on the road because they're one of the stronger underground out there. And this 14-song record is a winner.
The Goodnight Loving is essentially a garage rock band with an impressive grasp on numerous American rock 'n' roll idioms: country, surf, blues, punk, folk. They're certainly not the only young rock band doing the garage-roots thing right now (you can thank the Greg Cartwright's Reigning Sound for kicking off the trend about decade ago), but I'm hard-pressed to think of one that does it with The Goodnight Loving's finely honed blend of maturity, technical proficiency, and joyous rock 'n' roll
abandon.
Best song: "The Pan" is as good as any. "We're all in the pan / Get out while you can."
Rotation: Heavy
Deja vu: The great city of Milwaukee.
I'd rather listen to:
Though Supper Club is more accomplished,
I still like the songs on their self-titled record best.
Grade: A-
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