Goodnight Lenin - Wenceslas Square EP

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 4 / 8 / 2011

Label: Static Caravan
Format: 7"

intro

Anthemic and urgent folk rock on flawed six song EP from Birmingham-based band, Goodbye Lenin

Only the second ever release from Birmingham's Goodnight Lenin, the five piece of Fell, Conway, McCreedy, Sherlock and Berry who in between them play guitars, the violin, mandolin, piano, bass and drums while singing their hearts out on six drama-ridden folk ballads. Goodnight Lenin played Glastonbury yet I doubt that to be a recommendation these days. Their anthemic folk songs portray the band as balladeers, just an inch short of genuine class. The vocals are slightly flat and definitely nasal, and tend to drown in the full blown orchestration. Their rushed urgency in music works well yet the vocals lag behind. The lyrics sometimes deal in stereotypes like "We are oceans apart, but luckily I can swim." Let's blame it on teenage character, though as they continue with 'We are worlds apart as they continually spin' I am inclined to think that Goodnight Lenin should either do away with lyrics and vocals or come up with something much better. The EP rates A for effort, B for relevance and A again for performance, just a minor C for lyrics and vocals.

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