Goodbye June – See Where The Night Goes

18-02-2022

Goodbye June is a rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band is composed of cousins Landon Milbourn (lead vocals), Brandon Qualkenbush (rhythm guitar, bass, backing vocals), and Tyler Baker (lead guitar). Influenced by Led Zeppelin, Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, Jimi Hendrix among many other rock bands, Goodbye June's music has been described as "blues-infused rock with hard-driving beats, blistering guitars, and down and dirty vocals". The band formed after the death of Tyler's brother in June (hence the band name), vowing to honour his memory with their soulful and life-affirming sound. A rock band who blend a rootsy sound with big guitars and plenty of strutting style, Goodbye June are a hard-hitting power trio whose sound is rooted in classic rock of the 1970s, complete with the requisite blues influences, delivered with an energy and intensity that are thoroughly up to date. Landon Milbourn's lead vocals are the definition of gritty, roaring swagger, and the guitars generate enough full-bodied riffage to fill any arena they choose. The trio hit a middle ground between the hard-hitting Magic Valley and more exploratory Community Inn with their fourth full-length release, 2022's "See Where the Night Goes", also released by Earache. Produced by Grammy Award winning producer Paul Moak, "See Where The Night Goes" is the hotly-anticipated third studio album from Nashville rock 'n' roll prodigies Goodbye June. 11 tracks of the very finest modern day rock music, with a twist of southern twang and washed down with a shot of blues. Goodbye June are three cousins who formed after the death of guitarist Tyler Baker's brother in June (hence the name), vowing to honour his memory with their soulful and life affirming sound. Fusing hard rock licks with deep Southern blues and gospel swing, in part influenced by the band's strict Pentecostal Church upbringing (a way of life they scorned for a career in rock n roll), their sound competes sonically with the new wave of hard rock acts like Greta Van Fleet, while adding layers of colour that references a wide spectrum from Led Zeppelin to Kings Of Leon. A riot-worthy album of runaway rock n roll rooted in southern blues, 'See Where The Night Goes' brings swinging grooves, incendiary twin-attack guitars, relentless rhythm and vocals that give Steven Tyler a run for his money. Goodbye June collide with the most legendary of rock influences whilst making their own unique gleaming print on the canvas of modern rock. This is an album not to be missed by music fans who trust in rock 'n' roll to liberate them from the mundane. Influence from the past can often create and expand onto an established sound. Done well, it often captures that balance between that style and the development of something new that people can get on board with. This is something that Nashville trio, Goodbye June have managed through their last two releases. Now on their third, "See Where The Night Goes", after the pandemic and rise of the NWOCR, there's a lot of expectation riding on this release to see what they planned and created in lockdown. So, how did the band do with this record, and where did they see this album going Definitely in an interesting direction to say the least. It's very groovy, jammy, and a lot of the songs dive deep into improving and loving yourself, even after a breakup or a difficult event. Songs like 'Step Aside', 'What I Need', and 'Nothing' capture this sentiment beautifully, exemplifying that torment after a moment has ended, but also talking about the strength that comes from moving past it and using that energy to love oneself. Other themes, like having a crazy and fun night in 'Baby I'm Back' and 'See Where The Night Goes', are done well and the writing within the lyrics are very clever and fun to hear. Matching that, the instrumentation fits the individual themes perfectly, even with the simplistic rhythms. For example, in 'Stand And Deliver', whilst the drumming and bass is simple, it's effective because it adds punch to the song and adds that edge and grit to make the song a classic jam. But a standout in the album are the guitar solos, each expressing the tone and mood of the song in such a beautiful way, like in 'See Where The Night Goes' and 'Breathe And Attack'. 'Take A Ride' and 'Three Chords sound very similar to AC/DC, specifically 'You Shook Me All Night Long' and 'It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock And Roll)' respectively. Whilst the songs aren't bad, they're both composed and executed well on the record, the similarities to the Australian band and their work is hard to deny. It's a little off-putting that two of the songs have this strong similarity to other songs when the rest of the album does such a good job of keeping the sound and style quintessentially Goodbye June. Although it is only two songs, that problem does stick out and is quite jarring to hear compared with the rest of the record. Overall, aside from those two songs, "See Where The Night Goes" is another gem in Goodbye June's discography, capturing emotional moments perfectly on a bed of lush and groovy classic rock and blues. When the moments are good on this, they're really good. It's a shame that the two songs mentioned slightly derail the album, but for the most part, it's a solid outing that will hopefully draw more people into a fantastic band that more should hear. It's still a stand out record, flaws and all, and shows a band that is capable of a lot of incredible work. 2022 release. Produced by Grammy Award winning producer Paul Moak, "See Where The Night Goes" is the hotly-anticipated third studio album from Nashville rock n roll prodigies Goodbye June. 11 tracks of the very finest modern day rock music, with a twist of southern twang and washed down with a shot of blues. A riot-worthy album of runaway rock n roll rooted in southern blues, "See Where The Night Goes" brings swinging grooves, incendiary twin-attack guitars, relentless rhythm and vocals that give Steven Tyler a run for his money. Goodbye June collide with the most legendary of rock influences whilst making their own unique gleaming print on the canvas of modern rock. This is an album not to be missed by music fans who trust in rock 'n' roll to liberate them from the mundane.

1. Step Aside

2. See Where The Night Goes

3. Breathe And Attack

4. Take A Ride

5. What I Need

6. Stand And Deliver

7. Baby, I'm Back

8. Everlasting Love

9. Nothing

10. Three Chords

11. Black

Backing Vocals - Hannah Hampton (track : 5)