Thomas Nassiff
10/03/09, 12:08 AM
Good Old War- Only Way to Be Alone
Record Label: Sargent House Records
Release Date: November 4, 2008
What is Langhorne, Pennsylvania known for? Well, not much. The borough is made up of a whopping 552 households, but in one of those households, Good Old War was born. Comprised of Keith Goodwin and Tim Arnold (formerly of Days Away) and Daniel Schwartz (ex-Unlikely Cowboy), Langhorne's Good Old War have revitalized the indie/folk scene with their 2008 Sargent House Records debut Only Way to Be Alone. The disc starts off with the impossibly catchy "Coney Island," which upon first impression, may seem like a future pop radio hit, but listeners will find a folky edge to it, and the song really sets the tone for the rest of the album and what Good Old War are trying to do here. In a day and age where bands can get by on the sweet melody of their frontman's voice, Good Old War breathe into the scene a refreshing dose of true vocal harmony. In an effort to revive vocal chords as an instrument of music, lead singer Keith Goodwin will delight fans as he absolutely shines behind three-part vocal melodies that will have your parents crying out for the days of Simon & Garfunkel or Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
While not enough can be said of the vocals on this album, Good Old War are hardly one-dimensional. Best known before this release for being the backup band for the immensely popular Anthony Green, who makes a cameo on this record in "Weak Man," they have developed their own acoustic sound, blending in just the right amounts of catchy hooks with intricate melodies that complement the sounds of their own voices. Perhaps the song that best showcases the band's unique style of guitar playing while at the same time providing the listener with an outstanding vocal harmony is "Window." Goodwin, Arnold, and Schwartz put on a clinic for the ears in belting out the memorable verse of "I tried so hard / I wanted nothing / some time to think / some time alone / there's nothing wrong / with being so quiet / there's nothing wrong / you're never frightened." Another song that is sure to delight the ears of listeners for a long time to come, "I'm Not for You" starts off slower than any other song on Only Way to Be Alone before picking up into a rhythmic, fast-paced chorus with plenty of dragged-out "ooo's" and "ahh's" that yet again show off Good Old War's collective vocal range.
While many albums have a few standout tracks that have the potential to succeed as singles, this record stands out because it has no obvious best track. Like peanut butter and jelly, like coffee and the morning paper, like reading Harry Potter on a rainy day, the twelve tracks on Only Way to Be Alone are good on their own but absolutely unstoppable as a whole. If you've never heard of Good Old War, now is the time to jump on the bandwagon. Go get this record. Buy it if you can, because if anybody deserves your dollar, it's the fine young men in Good Old War, who are truly talented and are cursed to be poor and unknown by the masses because of it.
Simon & Garfunkel; vocal harmonies; acoustic guitars; feel-good music; being happy
"Coney Island", "Window", "Stay By My Side"
1. Coney Island
2. Just Another Day
3. Looking for Shelter
4. Weak Man
5. I'm Not for You
6. We've Come A Long Way
7. No Time
8. That's Whats Wrong
9. Maybe Mine
10. Tell Me
11. Window
12. Stay By My Side
Producer: Rick Parker, Run Time: 35 minutes, 50 seconds
myspace.com/goodoldwar (http://myspace.com/goodoldwar)
Record Label: Sargent House Records
Release Date: November 4, 2008
What is Langhorne, Pennsylvania known for? Well, not much. The borough is made up of a whopping 552 households, but in one of those households, Good Old War was born. Comprised of Keith Goodwin and Tim Arnold (formerly of Days Away) and Daniel Schwartz (ex-Unlikely Cowboy), Langhorne's Good Old War have revitalized the indie/folk scene with their 2008 Sargent House Records debut Only Way to Be Alone. The disc starts off with the impossibly catchy "Coney Island," which upon first impression, may seem like a future pop radio hit, but listeners will find a folky edge to it, and the song really sets the tone for the rest of the album and what Good Old War are trying to do here. In a day and age where bands can get by on the sweet melody of their frontman's voice, Good Old War breathe into the scene a refreshing dose of true vocal harmony. In an effort to revive vocal chords as an instrument of music, lead singer Keith Goodwin will delight fans as he absolutely shines behind three-part vocal melodies that will have your parents crying out for the days of Simon & Garfunkel or Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
While not enough can be said of the vocals on this album, Good Old War are hardly one-dimensional. Best known before this release for being the backup band for the immensely popular Anthony Green, who makes a cameo on this record in "Weak Man," they have developed their own acoustic sound, blending in just the right amounts of catchy hooks with intricate melodies that complement the sounds of their own voices. Perhaps the song that best showcases the band's unique style of guitar playing while at the same time providing the listener with an outstanding vocal harmony is "Window." Goodwin, Arnold, and Schwartz put on a clinic for the ears in belting out the memorable verse of "I tried so hard / I wanted nothing / some time to think / some time alone / there's nothing wrong / with being so quiet / there's nothing wrong / you're never frightened." Another song that is sure to delight the ears of listeners for a long time to come, "I'm Not for You" starts off slower than any other song on Only Way to Be Alone before picking up into a rhythmic, fast-paced chorus with plenty of dragged-out "ooo's" and "ahh's" that yet again show off Good Old War's collective vocal range.
While many albums have a few standout tracks that have the potential to succeed as singles, this record stands out because it has no obvious best track. Like peanut butter and jelly, like coffee and the morning paper, like reading Harry Potter on a rainy day, the twelve tracks on Only Way to Be Alone are good on their own but absolutely unstoppable as a whole. If you've never heard of Good Old War, now is the time to jump on the bandwagon. Go get this record. Buy it if you can, because if anybody deserves your dollar, it's the fine young men in Good Old War, who are truly talented and are cursed to be poor and unknown by the masses because of it.
Simon & Garfunkel; vocal harmonies; acoustic guitars; feel-good music; being happy
"Coney Island", "Window", "Stay By My Side"
1. Coney Island
2. Just Another Day
3. Looking for Shelter
4. Weak Man
5. I'm Not for You
6. We've Come A Long Way
7. No Time
8. That's Whats Wrong
9. Maybe Mine
10. Tell Me
11. Window
12. Stay By My Side
Producer: Rick Parker, Run Time: 35 minutes, 50 seconds
myspace.com/goodoldwar (http://myspace.com/goodoldwar)