Published on Jan 5, 1999
It’s truly a scary moment in the life of a music journalist when
he or she is listening to a group they’ve never heard of before,
when something – a name or a sound – rings familiar in their mind.
I had that happen as I listened to
Anthem, the latest release from Seattle’s Goodness. I kept
thinking, “Carrie Akre… where have I heard her before?”
Sure enough, I’ve heard Akre’s work before — namely, in the
band Hammerbox, who I reviewed when I was in college press back in
1993. (Sometimes, I scare myself that I remember this trivial
nonsense — I mean, I haven’t listened to that particular album now
in five years.) What I do seem to remember was that I wasn’t
particularly impressed, but thought the album was okay. (Why does
something tell me I’ll be digging my copy of
Numb out of the Pierce Archives?)
I don’t know if Akre and her bandmates (or, for that matter, her
present record label) would be keen on me talking about the past,
so let’s focus on the present – and, as
Anthem is evidence of, what a bright future it is. These 12
selections capture the energy of the now-dead grunge movement
without sacrificing any of the pop sensibility the band brings into
the project. And while the sound still needs a little more time to
clearly cut its own swath, they’re not far from the mark at
all.
The band – vocalist Akre, guitarist/vocalist Garth Reeves,
guitarist Danny Newcomb, bassist/vocalist Fiia McGann and drummer
Chris Friel – quickly prove with their band’s sound that their
roots are deeply planted in Seattle’s fertile soil, but that
they’re not about to be pigeonholed by anyone. I mean, who would
have expected to hear such a poppy chorus like that on “Pretender”
just a few years ago? But Goodness not only tackles such a
distinctive road, but they quickly make it their own – and before
long, you might find yourself asking, “Kurt
who?”
Anthem contains many pleasant marriages of the alternative
and pop veins of today’s music. From the catchiness of the title
track to other numbers like “I’d Rather,” “Lost,” “Our Last
Goodbye” and “Walkaway,” Goodness demonstrate that they have the
talent and the flair to be someone big in this industry if only
given the chance.
The biggest weaknesses I see in the road ahead for Goodness are
both easily overcome with patience and time. First: they need to
differentiate their songs a little bit more. I mean, the work I
hear on
Anthem is pleasant and all, but if you’re not paying
attention to the track listing or the lyric sheet, it’s easy to
think you’re listening to “Bitter Man” when you’re already on
“Night & Day.” Second: they may need to overcome some listener
apathy. To some people, just the word “Seattle” might be enough to
make them tune out, figuring anything coming out now is just
leftovers from the scene. And if you fall into this category,
then… brudder, you don’t know what you’re missin’ with
Goodness.
Anthem shows a lot of promise for this young band, and given
a little more polish in their sound (though not much more) and the
right breaks, they could be the next thing you can’t shake off the
airwaves anytime soon. For their sake, I hope that happens.