(Photo Credit: Zoe Prinds-Flash)
We had an opportunity to do an Advance Review of Graveyard Club's new album Goodnight Paris! Their sound evokes comps to classic alt acts such as The Cure and Echo and the Bunnymen with a new twist. Check out our track by track review below!
Advance Review Graveyard Club - Goodnight Paris
“Witchcraft,” the first song on Goodnight Paradise, peacefully introduces the listener to the album with crescendo atmospheric sounds that work like a gentle-wake alarm clock. Boris Karloff’s reading of Michael Avallone’s “Nightmare” breaks the peaceful air. “And what of your dreams and your nightmares? If you ever imagine that fingers are at your throat throttling you, don’t twist and turn. Wake up. Open your eyes.” What follows is an album that sounds like we were wakened in the era of Nightrider, The A-Team, Garbage Pail Kids, and Rubik’s Cube. With the shimmery, glittery synthesizer sound of the ’80s, Goodnight Paradise sounds like it could be the soundtrack to any of the retro-period dramas that have become popular as of late. Listen to the outro of “Finally Found” and the intro to “July.” Both contain moments that sound like they came straight from the Stranger Things soundtrack. What makes this album stand out are catchy rhythms in songs like “Red Roses,” “William,” and “Birdie.” They are clean, tight, and show the obvious professional attitude of the band. And although this reviewer enjoys the faster songs, Graveyard Club offers slower ballads like “Cassandra,” “Maureen,” and “Miles and Miles” for those who need a song so they can lean into their partner. (Think date night, at home, dancing in a living room lit by candles.) In these quieter songs, Matthew Schuman and Amanda Zimmerman vocals work like they were born to sing together. In Closing: In an age of Spotify and playlist, I appreciate the fact that Goodnight Paradise is a complete album, with a thread carried throughout it. Introduced in the first song, the atmospheric and nature sounding theme reappears in many songs including “It Hurts,” “Dreamland,” and “Goodnight Paradise.” It weaves everything together and makes for a comprehensive listen. And referencing sounds and rhythms reminiscent of bands like ABBA, The Cure, David Bowie from Labyrinth, early Madonna, and New Order, Graveyard Club constructs a solid album that plays to an audience that can appreciate the 80’s era. Favorite Songs: “Red Roses,” “July,” and “Dreamland” Rating - 4/5