Album Review: Goodluck Jonathan - This Is Our Way Out (EP3)

With their final EP in the 'This is Our Way Out' Trilogy, Brighton indie/math-rock quintet Goodluck Jonathan pull out the things that made the first two EPs brilliant and develop upon them even further. When I first reviewed the band late last year when the second EP came out, I compared the band to The Kooks, The Maccabees and At The Drive in. With this EP, they easily managed to differentiate the sound they only released a couple of months ago and shrug off those comparrisons.

'Mad Licks' constantly switches between a sombre vocal line accompanied by a Minus The Bear infused guitar, counteracted with a fast paced, hard hitting B section. 'Mad Licks' really showcases the vocal range of the band as a whole and how easy it is for them to switch from one genre to the other.

A Fuzzy bass opens up 'Stop', a pile driving, post-punk influenced song in which Brookes, exerts "You're not so fucking clever no you're not fucking clever" during the chorus over a spastic guitar and overdriven bass. The remix of 'Broken Heart' by BretonLABS shows the progression that Goodluck Jonathan have made with song since its initial release on the first EP. BretonLABS' brings an electronic interpretation to the song which shows direct elements of dubstep, drum and bass and chiptune making the sound appeal to a completely different demographic.

'This Is Our Way Out' is an unlikely ballad for Goodluck Jonathan to finish their 3 EP trilogy on. With Brookes' colloqiual accent crooning a story of a loved one over the top of an organ and a simple kick drum as he sings, "I touched her she turned her eyes so proud and grasped my hand and whsipered. This is our way out." The guitar begins to shriek whilst the drums are being massacred. Beneath this beautiful contrast in dynamics, you can hear the same organ that has been going throughout the song, soldiering on, I can easily say that 'This Is Our Way Out' is perhaps the best send off for an EP I've ever heard.

5/5

'This Is Our Way Out (EP3)'< by Goodluck Jonathan is available now.

Goodluck Jonathan on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.

George Gadd

George Gadd