Susan Frances
01/03/08, 10:50 PM
The Last Goodnight - Poison Kiss
Record Label: Virgin Records/Capitol Music Group
Release Date: August 28, 2007
Lead singer/pianist Kurtis John of the modern rock sextet The Last Goodnight admitted in a press release that the best advice he ever received about writing songs came from his father who told him, “Just keep it simple, K, and strike an emotion.”
That is precisely what The Last Goodnight’s album Poison Kiss delivers, keeping the melodic hooks gingerly sprinkled and the focus directed on projecting John’s voluminous voicing through the songs. Produced by Jeff Blue, the album is the band’s debut on Virgin Records/Capitol Music Group. Each track has a warm complexion and soft coloring that maintains a commercial pop/rock appeal. Instrument parts are thinly tiered so the listener’s attention is drawn to John’s vocals. There is a jazzy rock vibe filtering through “Back Where We Belong” reminiscent of Maroon 5, a soft-rock brilliancy on “Pictures of You” comparable to Lifehouse, and romantically hued pop/rock riffage on the title track silhouette in orchestral-pop regalia has the illumination of Dashboard Confessional. But putting music references aside, Poison Kiss’ specialty is in polarizing considerable amounts of blues, rock, jazz, classic piano, and orchestral tones, and giving them a pop finesse with comfy coasting motions as John’s voice blows voluminously over the melodies. His voice makes the songs sound grand without them carrying a lot of weight in the music.
Everything is comfortable about the band’s music from the vocals to the melodically versed guitar lines of Mike Nadeau, the dots of keyboard sequences by Anton Yurack and Ely Rise, and the gently juggling rhythm section of bassist Leif Christensen and drummer Larone “Skeeter” McMillan. The light billowing in the rhythm section of “If I Talk to God” has an inspirational glow, the shires pronounced by the swiveling organ dirges on “Good Love” has an attractive low-pitched smoothness, and the soaring orchestral arrangements on “Incomplete” is swift in pulling the melody upward. The music is free of conflict with balconies of euphoric tones and finely stringed harmonies that exude a balmy pleasantness in the listener’s ear.
The lyrical content has an overall romantic fuse like in the song “In Your Arms” as John sings, “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life / You are the most beautiful thing these eyes have seen / I met you at St. John’s Cathedral down on Amsterdam / Made a trade with the devil and he gave me your hand.” If you think that you have heard every line ever made to express the joys of love, the pains of heartbreaks, and the memories of relationships that linger on long after their demise, then you have to hear how The Last Goodnight parlay these feelings into song lyrics. When John's father advised him to make music that strikes an emotion, the young singer also proceeded to apply that technique to the lyrics, which strikes a chord with the audience, deepening the penetration of the music.
The Last Goodnight’s current release Poison Kiss has a surface beauty that lightens the listener’s mood. There are moments when the vocals and the music are inspirational, and there are moments when the songs feel lamenting. The emotions run high on these tracks, but they never lose their comfortable coasting momentum. Hailing from Enfield, Connecticut, The Last Goodnight came together in 2003 and were recognized for their original rock sound. Their present album Poison Kiss is a synthesis of influences with a nice melodic resonance in the songs that echoes of human vulnerabilities and an undying zest for love. The pleasantness in their music will appeal to multiple generations from the young to those more mature. It is music made to strike an emotion in the listener, and for that moment, living in the music bridges those gaps that keep people apart, even if it is just on the surface.
Website (http://www.thelastgoodnight.net) | MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/thelastgoodnight) | Buy (http://www.fye.com/Poison-Kiss-Front-Page_stcVVproductId21108996VVcatId4 55366VVviewprod.htm)
Record Label: Virgin Records/Capitol Music Group
Release Date: August 28, 2007
Lead singer/pianist Kurtis John of the modern rock sextet The Last Goodnight admitted in a press release that the best advice he ever received about writing songs came from his father who told him, “Just keep it simple, K, and strike an emotion.”
That is precisely what The Last Goodnight’s album Poison Kiss delivers, keeping the melodic hooks gingerly sprinkled and the focus directed on projecting John’s voluminous voicing through the songs. Produced by Jeff Blue, the album is the band’s debut on Virgin Records/Capitol Music Group. Each track has a warm complexion and soft coloring that maintains a commercial pop/rock appeal. Instrument parts are thinly tiered so the listener’s attention is drawn to John’s vocals. There is a jazzy rock vibe filtering through “Back Where We Belong” reminiscent of Maroon 5, a soft-rock brilliancy on “Pictures of You” comparable to Lifehouse, and romantically hued pop/rock riffage on the title track silhouette in orchestral-pop regalia has the illumination of Dashboard Confessional. But putting music references aside, Poison Kiss’ specialty is in polarizing considerable amounts of blues, rock, jazz, classic piano, and orchestral tones, and giving them a pop finesse with comfy coasting motions as John’s voice blows voluminously over the melodies. His voice makes the songs sound grand without them carrying a lot of weight in the music.
Everything is comfortable about the band’s music from the vocals to the melodically versed guitar lines of Mike Nadeau, the dots of keyboard sequences by Anton Yurack and Ely Rise, and the gently juggling rhythm section of bassist Leif Christensen and drummer Larone “Skeeter” McMillan. The light billowing in the rhythm section of “If I Talk to God” has an inspirational glow, the shires pronounced by the swiveling organ dirges on “Good Love” has an attractive low-pitched smoothness, and the soaring orchestral arrangements on “Incomplete” is swift in pulling the melody upward. The music is free of conflict with balconies of euphoric tones and finely stringed harmonies that exude a balmy pleasantness in the listener’s ear.
The lyrical content has an overall romantic fuse like in the song “In Your Arms” as John sings, “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life / You are the most beautiful thing these eyes have seen / I met you at St. John’s Cathedral down on Amsterdam / Made a trade with the devil and he gave me your hand.” If you think that you have heard every line ever made to express the joys of love, the pains of heartbreaks, and the memories of relationships that linger on long after their demise, then you have to hear how The Last Goodnight parlay these feelings into song lyrics. When John's father advised him to make music that strikes an emotion, the young singer also proceeded to apply that technique to the lyrics, which strikes a chord with the audience, deepening the penetration of the music.
The Last Goodnight’s current release Poison Kiss has a surface beauty that lightens the listener’s mood. There are moments when the vocals and the music are inspirational, and there are moments when the songs feel lamenting. The emotions run high on these tracks, but they never lose their comfortable coasting momentum. Hailing from Enfield, Connecticut, The Last Goodnight came together in 2003 and were recognized for their original rock sound. Their present album Poison Kiss is a synthesis of influences with a nice melodic resonance in the songs that echoes of human vulnerabilities and an undying zest for love. The pleasantness in their music will appeal to multiple generations from the young to those more mature. It is music made to strike an emotion in the listener, and for that moment, living in the music bridges those gaps that keep people apart, even if it is just on the surface.
Website (http://www.thelastgoodnight.net) | MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/thelastgoodnight) | Buy (http://www.fye.com/Poison-Kiss-Front-Page_stcVVproductId21108996VVcatId4 55366VVviewprod.htm)