(2019) Graveyard Club - Goodnight Paradise
Review: Graveyard Club (Matthew Schufman (vocals, synths), Michael Wojtalewicz (guitar), Cory Jacobs (drums) and Amanda Zimmerman (bass, vocals) began inspired by a unique list of shared interests: the classic short stories of sci-fi author Ray Bradbury, the music of Ryan Gosling’s little-known band Dead Man’s Bones, and a fascination with both 50’s crooners and 80’s pop music. With an ever-growing reputation as one of Minneapolis’ most compelling live acts, Graveyard Club has released two albums and an EP of their haunting brand of synthpop. They perform regularly at top Twin Cities venues (7th Street Entry, Turf Club, Fitzgerald Theater), and have toured nationally – supporting artists such as Elliot Moss, The Drums, Methyl Ethel, CayucasSan Fermin, Beverly and others. Graveyard Club’s songs have been featured on television for MTV, E!, and more. On album opener “Witchcraft” the band shimmer and are bigger than ever before with the help of engineer/producer Andy Thompson (Taylor Swift, Dan Wilson, jeremy messersmith, Belle and Sebastian). Sonically the band bridge familiar spaces from 80’s synths to 50’s crooners creating a distinctly nostalgic feel for a place and time you feel you know intimately, but never really existed. It’s Twin Peaks in Cathedral Hill and Boris Karloff at the Under-The-Sea prom of your dreams. Elsewhere, “It Hurts”, “Red Roses”, and “Dreamland” find the band at their most anthemic, while “Cassandra” and “Miles and Miles” paint reflective moments in found sounds. There is deep release in “Deathproof” and a catharsis in “Birdie” that boils up in Schufman’s voice. These themes are similarly found in “July” and “William”, though obscured and deconstructed. If “Maureen” is a slow dance with an imaginary partner in your bedroom, “Finally Found” is an epic journey with that partner through winding roads, blinking arcades, and across speeding highways. The album’s namesake, then, is a cinematic instrumental and moment of reflection. It’s a meditation and a contradiction – both quiet and messy. It’s a postcard wishing a “Goodnight Paradise.”
Tracklist: 01. Witchcraft
02. Red Roses
03. William
04. Cassandra
05. Finally Found
06. It Hurts
07. Maureen
08. July
09. Birdie
10. Deathproof
11. Dreamland
12. Goodnight Paradise
13. Miles and Miles
Summary: Country: USA
Genre: dream-pop
Media Report: Source: CD
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Bit rate: ~ 648-910 Kbps
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits |