Preview: Graham Good and The Painters Debut Album is Just What the New Year Needs
Photo by Charla Harvey
The upcoming new year means a lot more than usual this time around, at least to me. With 2021 on the horizon, a Covid vaccine in the works, and the promise of warm weather and the possibility of gathering with friends in the future, I’m cautiously seeing a light at the end of the tunnel - and it makes my heart swell with hope. The new year is also a tried-and-true time for reflection - and we have much to reflect on this year. In 2020, we faced countless obstacles as a human species. We came up against a foe not as nation against nation, religion vs. religion, or any other man-made construct of confrontation, but as humans with the need to band together to get through a year so rough that it sometimes seemed as though we were living in the matrix. What will we learn from this? How will we grow from it, as individuals and as a group? Will we take the lessons learned to heart, or throw them out as soon as things return to normal? While we walk this line between hope and reflection, Graham Good and The Painters will give us the perfect soundtrack for both. The feel-good kings of NoCo are set to release their debut full-length self-titled album early next year. They haven’t set an exact release date yet, but you can look for the album in the first few months of 2021. I got the chance to hear the new record ahead of time, and I’m so excited to give you a preview of the good things that are coming.
The new Graham Good and The Painters album takes you on a journey through the peaks and valleys of emotion, with an overall focus on growing, learning, and being kind to each other. The 10 (or possibly 11) song album is the epitome of the positivity and connection that Graham Good and The Painters have always stood for, and is the perfect representation of their overall musical development. There’s high energy, feel-good songs, songs that let you curse at the top of your lungs, songs about love, and several re-recordings of the Painters’ most popular songs, as well as full-band versions of some of Graham Good’s solo releases.
The first song on the record, If You’re Leaving, sets a tone of high energy, harkening back to the sort of incredible frantic vibes you’d get at any of the Painters’ shows. In fact, if you’ve heard this song at a live show, it likely pulled you away from any other thoughts and made you 100% present in the moment with the music. Within the first ten seconds, I guarantee you’ll be dancing wherever you are as the initial horn notes ring out from Zach Rich on Trumpet/Trombone and Joey LeClerc on Saxophone. The entire song just feels like a brand new year wrapped up into a 5 minute bite, with lyrics that focus on personal growth, knowing your own high value as a human, letting go of the negativity, and the importance of community to the human spirit. This song also features some incredible solos - namely, the bass into synth keys solos by the Painters’ Cameron Collums and Daniel Thompson respectively. By the end of the song, you’ll be at an 11/10 on the hope meter.
Slumber, a brand new Painters’ song, is so relatable after having lived through a year like 2020. So often, we’ve been so overwhelmed and unsure of the right thing - but there’s one thing that always helps: a good night of sleep. Waking up to a fresh new day always seems to make things more clear. In this track, Graham Good sings “Slumber, come rescue me.” Slumber is a brilliant combination of a little bluegrass twang and a fast-paced ska tempo, leaving you feeling uplifted and ready to take on whatever’s next. Get ready: this song will be stuck in your head for weeks!
One of the most poignant and timely songs on the album is called BS, and it may be one of my favorite Graham Good and The Painters songs to date. The message in the song is something that many of us have thought about, but few have the courage to say out loud. The lyrics call on human beings to “wake up” and come together, leaving all of the pettiness, gossip, negativity, and tension behind. Like the song says, one of the best ways to do that is to focus on the music because, in Graham Good’s words, “Music is helping me tune out the bullshit.” Think of all of the things we could accomplish together if we were more able to accept each others’ differences and focus on building up instead of tearing down. The song hits hard, especially with a slowed down tempo and repetitive lyrics sending the message home. Plus, like I said above, we all need a song that lets us scream “Bullshit” while we’re driving or at home. It’s good for the soul.
Other new tracks include Get Brave, Be Happy, and Older Brother - an ode to the love and gratitude between siblings that isn’t often realized until later in life. Here is the complete track list:
01) If You’re Leaving
02) Angels
03) Slumber
04) Mariah
05) BS
06) Get Brave
07) Be Happy
08) Older Brother
09) Swing
10) Grow
11) Possible bonus track - you’ll have to wait to find out what this one is!
I had such a hard time picking which tracks to preview… Every single song is just so good. I’ve been listening to the album on repeat since I got it, and I know you will too! Early 2021 seems like a long time to wait, but fear not - you can still listen to all of your favorite songs by Graham Good and The Painters on your favorite streaming services now.
It’s also super important to support our local artists during this time, so follow Graham Good and The Painters on social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) and buy some of their merch if you can! Making an album isn’t cheap, and these guys have managed to do it in a year of lost income amongst artists. Let’s come together for Graham Good and The Painters!