Good Lovelies are a band that do not rush, and like to
evolve at their own pace. Four main studio albums since their formation in 2006
is testament to this Canadian trio having to deal with what life throws at them
rather than empty barrels of stimulation. A take it easy strategy has also stretched
to rolling out their latest album. SHAPESHIFTERS had its Canadian launch last
year, and after a short breathing space, focus switches to Europe and a
physical release to coincide with a tour. It is always more productive to
promote an album live and personal, and the new record has plenty of nuances
that will enhance a Good Lovelies show.
Ultimately, the success of a record depends on a broader
appeal and SHAPESHIFTERS continues an exploration away from a traditional roots
sound that tended to define the music of Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough and Sue
Passmore when they first came to prominence on the international stage. Perhaps
there was always a genre-free streak to the Good Lovelies to the extent that
the new record remains homeless when categorising is attempted, unless you
subscribe to the simplistic theory that music is either good or bad. It is
impossible for the Good Lovelies to fall into the latter category and repeated
plays of this relative short (32 minutes) record re-enforces this view. The
term ‘pop’ was mulled over when attempting to grasp the destination of this
album, but it has little desire to court mass market-appeal on concessional
terms.
This album and its box of tricks effect, scores highly on
the innovative scale as the band attempts to widen the canvas of which they
supplant their considerable musical skills. Delectable harmonies roam free and
spread liberally across the ten tracks, while the sonic landscape subtly mixes
the old and the new in terms of instrumentation. For those drawn to the Good
Lovelies on the back of their first two records, the pleasurable tones of the
closing track, ‘This Little Heart’,
inject a dose of familiarity as an unaccompanied start eases into a banjo
infused gently rolling sound, all bound by those ubiquitous harmonies.
Dedicated and intensive listens to the record eventually anoint
three tracks to cement the appeal. Opening number ‘I See Gold’ obviously had designs to be the focal piece and truly
delivers on this point with its manoeuvres and switches. It also houses the
album title in the line ‘we are the shapeshifters’, with its mythical change
definition almost proving metaphorical to this being the next stage of the Good
Lovelies evolution. As engaging as the opener is, it is eventually trumped by ‘When We Were Young’, a gem of a track at
the heart of the album. A sumptuous effort blending in shades of late 60s psychedelia.
Concluding this mini trio is the vocally strong ‘Daylight’, epitomising the exchange of the lead role and why the
Good Lovelies have often proved a cohesive trio born to make music together.
Adjusting to the alternative beat of ‘Take Me, Take Me’ in second place in the track listing ensured that
grasping the essence of SHAPESHIFTERS did not come instantly. Also after
multiple plays, ‘I Had a Dream’ struggles to make an effect. When the record finally sunk in as a valuable addition to
the Good Lovelies collection, ‘Move Away
Clouds’ probably acted as the pulse of the album. In the latter plays of
the review period, ‘Pulse & Fiction’,
with a slightly detectable ‘do wop’ start, gained traction, while the
penultimate song, ‘Hurry Up’
eventually became the moment when you started to feel the Good Lovelies of
yester year. Faint sound of kids on the last track, coupled with a lullaby
feel, put the family gloss on something that is very dear to the heart of the
band.
Undeniably, the goodwill built up of being a Good Lovelies
fan for over a decade played a part in giving SHAPESHIFTERS the space to make
its presence. On this occasion, time delivered the rewards and this
well-crafted album settled into its intended spot. Oh and those harmonies never
cease to amaze.
www.goodlovelies.com
