There is nothing quite like Good Question:
their sonic signature is a bold one, and their arrangement decisions
are both imaginative and expressive. The songs on Safety Shackles,
their confident new album, feature deftly-woven acoustic and electric
guitar patterns, woodwinds, rich cello, rubbery didgeridoo, ghostly
banjo, and twinkly celeste and glockenspiel. Percussion, too, is
invariably creative: skittering snare augmented with occasional machine
beats, bells, and even the occasional timpani.
Sean
Goebel is one of the principle songwriters and producers behind "Good
Question." Sean spent five years at the University of Calgary studying
music composition and refining his craft, he graduated in 2006 with a
BMUS in composition. Sean Goebel's melodies are quietly complex: they
don't always do what you'd expect, and quite often, they lead listeners
down strange and fascinating detours. In short, the spell cast by Good
Question's music is a subtle one -- but it's a potent one, too.
In
the band's hometown of Calgary, they're already recognized by music
fans, promoters and journalists for their expressive performances,
daring visuals and ambitious songs. Good Question's music hasn't
reached a mass American audience yet, they're better known than you'd
think: they've toured all over the world, including mainland China, and
they'll be back out on the road this winter in support of Safety
Shackles. The band consists of Mike McPhail (keyboards and vocals),
Andrew Clark (drums), Brian Snyder (bass, guitars, and vocals) and Sean
Goebel (vocals, guitars, banjo, and programming) who are now working
with Hip Video, Vandala Concept and Crazy Lady Records.
"Take
A Moment", the album's kick-off cut, is quintessentially Good Question:
a gently infectious melody, an elliptical, engrossing acoustic guitar
riff, atmospheric high strings and gorgeous cello, strong vocal
harmonies, and Goebel's customary philosophical lyrics. He's a deep
thinker -- one comfortable speculating about the mysteries of life and
death -- and the singer's literary turn has drawn comparisons to other
formidably-intelligent songwriters, including Colin Meloy of the
Decemberists, Emily Haines of Metric, Neil Finn of Crowded House, and
Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater.
(written by Andy Gesner president of Hip Video in New Jersey)