For the uninitiated such as myself, Goodbye Blue Monday is an indie rock band with a typical four man setup (vocalist/guitarist, lead guitar, bass, and drums) from San Diego. Indie rock...what the heck is that supposed to mean? Is that just a nice way of saying they're actually some other kind of music that I'd just rather not mention? Nope, it's pretty much music less bent on formulas and more on a love for their art. Mix equal parts Muse, Sparta, and the Killers and you have an idea of what these guys bring to the stage. Help is on the Way is their second official release on Loud and Clear Records.
Painkillers in Love starts off with a short telephone clip and guy saying "help is on the way" before the song kicks in. One guitar combines with another to form an intricate arrangement before the bass comes in softly on double time, along with a simple but fitting drum beat. Matt Mournian's vocals finally enter the scene almost halfway through the song at 1:45, then back to a short (interesting) instrumental break, before the song returns with everything they've got as Mournian sings out "everyone's around" or "everyone's alive" or something like that. On these songs, his energetic voice has some new wave pop leanings ala The Killers, probably more due to production effects than actual tones.
The next song, "The Last of the Golden Palominos" picks up where the last left off with an uplifting drumbeat behind another intricate guitar line. Then a poignant bass riff transitions to the first singing and so it goes. Again, as in all of their songs, the singing seems to be more of a reward than the centerpiece of the song. The next song is instrumental before the title track "Help is on the Way" picks up, shedding the "new wave" vocals and leaning more towards a sound akin to Sparta. By now, you get the idea.
I personally enjoy music that goes somewhere, songs that emphasize different things at different times, at one point, the vocals, another some interesting guitar work, or at another time the rhythm section. This album was pleasing, as it offered payoff, the songs for the most part GO somewhere with little stops along the way before reaching a crunchy passionate ending (see Painkillers in Love and Tonight, the World Will Know Your Name). As the song is ending and you think they couldn't pull anything more out of it, they found a way to add another element to give me a feeling of satisfaction, a sense of conclusion. Another bonus was that they broke free from verse/chorus/verse/bridge/chorus songwriting and went with whatever worked.
Help is on the Way is not without its downsides, however. There are only 7 songs, and 26 minutes of music. The members of Goodbye Blue Monday have other musical projects, so their time and efforts must be a little divided. Also, the songs meander a little too long on the instrumental side of the things and some listeners might get a little bored with the parts without any words to sing along with. Finally, despite its short length, they found ways to be a little repetitive and predictable by the end.
In all, it was good for a few listens, and I have a feeling they'd be great to see live.
3/4
