What We Want by Goodman (Providence, Rhode Island)*
In this collection of bittersweet, indie pop gems, the twenty-two year old Michael Goodman has succinctly captured the realities of a romance–all the regrets and insecurities, which are of course half the fun, and still a hope for a better next morning. The songs are sweetly earnest and never precious. At their center is Goodman himself in meticulous arrangements, sparking harmonies and lyrics reminiscent of at least one of my previous summers. It’s all there: the worthy intentions towards only halfhearted lovers, grand plans made and then dashed, and the instant and incessant disappointment. You can’t help root for our hapless, if sympathetic hero, and when he’s let down by yet another obsession, you’ll want to be there, listening to his sad song. In music, as in love, Goodman is an idealist, though he seems to realize that he is better adept to the prior, not that this will ever discourage him. Let’s not call Goodman naive. He knows that while what we want is never completely clear, there’s not a chance we won’t be up all night talking our way through it anyway. @EmilioHerce
Roses EP by Roses (Providence, Rhode Island)
