Album Review: Good Luck- Into Lake Griffy

Good Luck- Into Lake Griffy
Released: sometime 2008
Label: self-released
Home: Bloomington, IN
Rating: 9.2 out of 10







I have a confession to make...for the past year or so I have lost my love for the music. It has been months since any collection of musical notes and words or just musical notes has moved me even slightly. I often like to qualify this to myself by saying that it is ok to not be in love with music anymore since I play it; that sometimes you just get so surrounded by it that it loses its power. I stand before you today ready to completely denounce that sentiment. There is one catalyst for this change of thought and for once in my life I can put my finger on it. That catalyst is the Bloomington, IN band Good Luck. I first heard their songs over the speakers at Louisville's Skull Alley when I was setting up for a show and have been hooked ever since. This past Saturday night, I caught their set at Skull Alley while they were on their US tour and I finally realized what made them so instantly love-able and engaging. Their live show is energetic and fun, and it is obvious that they love what they are doing as much or more than the people jumping up and down in the front row.

I also picked up their record Into Lake Griffy at this show for a ridiculously cheap $8 and have had trouble getting out of my car ever since. The album is bursting at the seams with brilliant songwriting, lyrics, and incredibly creative musicianship from all three members. It is obvious that Matt Tobey (guitar, vocals), Ginger Alford (bass, vocals), and Mike Harpring, Jr. (drums) have something going on that is not often heard. Maybe that's because Matt is used to banging the skins, Ginger is used to ripping through folk-punk songs on the guitar, and Mike is used to keeping time with complex metal bands. Maybe its the fact that their friendship comes through in their songs in the way that they have incredible chemistry without having to be "tight". Whatever it is, this is one of my favorite records I own. Period.

It seems quite asinine to list song highlights on this record because every song has been on repeat one after the other. Of course, my heart jumps out of my chest when Ginger is pounding out the notes to "Stars Were Exploding" and when Matt is riffing through "Public Radio" I tend to lift my hands and rejoice. Matt Tobey's angular guitar work shape-shifts from riff-rockin edginess to finger-tapped harmonics and everywhere in between. Ginger helms the low end with a creativity that is rarely heard on the bass and Mike keeps the pace with a subtle complexity that is absolutely perfect for their jangled pop masterpieces.

Not only did this record help me fall in love with Good Luck, but it helped me fall in love with Music again and forced me to remember how fun it is. For that, I couldn't be more thankful. It has forced me to think that possibly when the music doesn't move you anymore, maybe it's not the music, maybe you just became immovable.

Notable Nights: Vol. 1: Good Luck @ Skull Alley

After the wonderful wedding of my good friends Paul and Sarah, I, along with a few friends, headed down to the wonderful Louisville all-ages venue called Skull Alley. I have been waiting for the show that happened there tonight for quite some time and I can't even begin to relay to you the excitement that I felt. I tried super-hard to think of the last time that I was literally giddy to see a show. You see, there is this band that I am currently in obsession with and their name is called Good Luck. They were playing with three other acts, but we only got to see the one right before them, which happened to be a wonderfully talented singer-songwriter named Paul Baribeau. Paul's set was heartfelt and spastic like a wonderful mess. A highlight was when he ripped through the mercilessly short "10 Things" and brought the room along for his sing-along. It's the kind of performance ability that your typical singer-songwriter could only dream about...

After Paul opened our hearts and left us a little down after his incredible but incredibly depressing last song, Matt, Ginger, and Mike took the stage and ripped apart the room with their high-energy, caution-to-the-wind, no-holds-barred set of transcendent pop songs. They played quite a few of the tracks off of their record Into Lake Griffy including my favorites "Pajammin", "The Stars Were Exploding", and the unbelievable chaos with their set-closer "Public Radio". I couldn't help but scream along during "Pajammin" when Matt rightfully noted "Oh, the feeling!/It's spreading up to the ceiling/When the band plays everyone's favorite song". It was a nice touch as the whole crowd bobbed up and down to their erratic and energetic rhythms. Their music is a wonderful mix-up of Sunset Tree-era The Mountain Goats and an endless amount of energy and fun. I can't remember the last time I saw a band have as much fun as they did on stage. It was inspiring and impressive. I couldn't recommend this band enough. Go to their site and buy their record, or go to a show and buy a record and a t-shirt or whatever. Just do yourself a solid and listen!