Review by Dom Vigil
The sound that My Goodness has mastered with their new full-length Shiver + Shake is nothing short of amazing. Within the first few moments of the first track on the album, they manage to pull me in with their anthematic sound and manage to keep me listening with twelve other tracks that all tie My Goodness’ own awesome sound together all while remaining strong in their own way.
The first thing that stands out on this album is My Goodness’ unique sound. While the album sounds similar to artists such as The Black Keys, My Goodness has managed to take that sound, add some blues and folk influences to it, and make it their own. The guitar work on Shiver + Shake is also phenomenal. In the second track, “Back Again” there are plenty of breaks in the song where the guitar parts reign over the vocals and carry the song and, unlike most songs that might seem boring with long musical interludes, the guitar work on the entire album is anything but boring, keeping me captivated and interested and even wanting more.
The coolest thing about Shiver + Shake is definitely the fact that My Goodness has managed to create such a full, anthematic sound with only two members (Joel Schneider on guitar and vocals and Andy Lum on drums.) The vocals throughout the entire album are strong and unique, keeping a great balance with the strong guitar work as well. And while Joel has a very prominently folk vocal style, that doesn’t stop him from adapting to any kind of music or any song, slow or fast, making “Pay No Mind” and “Check Your Bones” two of the strongest tracks on the album.
Shiver + Shake is an incredibly versatile album. While the majority of the tracks on this record are fast-paced and upbeat, songs like the mellow “Bottle” or the acoustic folk ballad “Lost In The Soul” come along and mix things up, keeping the listener on their toes. And they manage to do it all without even missing a beat, without making any songs seem out of place or unnecessary. When I can close my eyes and really listen to Shiver + Shake it’s easy to imagine My Goodness playing this album at huge stages and amphitheaters.
Rating: 4/5
Listen to “Pay No Mind”