OK Goodnight- The Fox and the Bird

[lonestar]

Ok, can't remember the last time a new album impressed me enough to bypass squirreling it away for roulette fodder, and go straight to making a thread about it. I think it was Ostura- The Room actually.

The skinny...OK Goodnight is 4 kids from Boston, barely in their 20s, and fresh out of Berklee (sound familiar?), and this is their second effort. I have yet to hear their first, but from what I've read it's good, but doesn't compare to this.

The sound? So...on a thin framework of prog/prog metal, these guys branch out to a ton of different influences to create a tremendously nuanced and at times achingly beautiful concept album about a fox and a bird on a quest to save their forest from a drought (at least that's what I've gotten after two full spins). There are no weak links in this band, but the highlights are definitely the drummer and the vocals. Female leads with some of the most tastefully placed growls I've ever come across, and man, this girl's voice is purely divine.

Anyhow...here's a video for the single The Snake, and the full album is on Spotify... and while the single is indicative of a small slice of what's going on, the real experience lies in a beginning to end spin. Enjoy my friends..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKD4lYzCPcw&ab_channel=OkGoodnight

[Adami]

Boston, Japan?

[nick_z]

Tim recommended it a few days ago in the ...listening thread. It's really cool. I need to revisit it, as there is a fair amount to digest.

[lonestar]

Boston, Japan?

Funny enough it came up on my reccomendations for spotify, which lately the algorithms have been heavily slanted towards the Japanese, so I'm still a bit baffled as to how it happened, but very grateful. You'll love this one dude, the vocalist is sooooooooo good...

[TAC]

Boston, Japan?

 

Tim recommended it a few days ago in the ...listening thread. It's really cool. I need to revisit it, as there is a fair amount to digest.

Damn straight! Was on this last week and ready to recommend.
Even posted it in the Top albums of 2023 in my Top 10.



Yeah, this album is cool as shit. Lots of different styles. Turns out like three days before I discovered this album, they actually had a record release party concert in Boston.

[lonestar]

They got a tour, all east coast, then the guitarist is leaving the band, so this might be a one hit wonder album... Let's hope not, cause there's a shit ton to digest and grow on here.

Definitely the first album of the year that has blown me away.

[jammindude]

I知 freaking stunned!!! That song was amazing!!!

[lonestar]

I知 freaking stunned!!! That song was amazing!!!

Set the time aside and listen to the whole album beginning to end. It's a fucking masterpiece.

[jammindude]

Just listened to The Bear on YT.

I think I just need to buy this album right now.

[lonestar]

Just listened to The Bear on YT.

I think I just need to buy this album right now.

I'm three full spins in, the last with my good headphones and the lyrics. Tears were shed.

[jammindude]

No physical media???

[jammindude]

Found out where to get a physical copy amongst other swag.

https://merchbooth.net/ok-goodnight/

[lonestar]

Found out where to get a physical copy amongst other swag.

https://merchbooth.net/ok-goodnight/

Yeah, I'll be adding a shirt to the collection for sure... Don't do physical media anymore with rare exceptions

[twosuitsluke]

I saw Tim and Nick mention this in the albums thread and forgot to check it out. I知 3 songs in now and so far so good. There are definitely some familiar influences here that I知 troubling to put my finger on.

I can actually hear a bit of Caligula's Horse in the guitar tones and melodies. The other obvious comparison is to any female fronted prog rock. Initially Oceans of Slumber sprung to mind, but they don稚 actually have that much in common.

I値l report back after finishing the album.

[lonestar]

The more I listen the more I fall in love with this album.

The Raven and The Mountain are the standouts of the heavier tracks, and The Bird is so achingly good.


Her voice man... It's just so brilliant and diverse, just love it

[Adami]

Checked out the video in the link.

Liked her. But not the band. They just came off as, probably exactly what they are, recent music school grads who want to use all the fancy time changes and prog stuff they know. It just didn稚 feel like cohesive song writing to me. Felt like the band jammed and wanted proggy off time stuff and then the singer had to write vocal parts around it.

Does their other stuff sound less like what I described? I壇 love to hear more of her.

[TAC]

You really can't judge this album by any one song. There's a lot of variety and styles on the album. It needs to be taken in its totality.

[Adami]

You really can't judge this album by any one song. There's a lot of variety and styles on the album. It needs to be taken in its totality.

That痴 good to hear. I値l give it a check on Spotify and buy if I dig it.

[Jamesman42]

I have it added to my Spotify library. I listened to two songs last night and was impressed by the vibes.

[lonestar]

You really can't judge this album by any one song. There's a lot of variety and styles on the album. It needs to be taken in its totality.

That痴 good to hear. I値l give it a check on Spotify and buy if I dig it.

It's definitely a beginning to end concept album experience.

[twosuitsluke]

Well DTF, you strike again. This is a really cool album and I値l revisit for sure.

Sound wise I hear Caligula痴 Horse, Bent Knee, The Dear Hunter (in the movie score style orchestral arrangements) and some heavier djenty/prog metal. I love a good melting pot like this.

Tim, I知 surprised, I wouldn稚 have picked this as something you壇 have loved to be honest. No denying this is worth checking out.

[Jamesman42]

I got huge Dear Hunter vibes from what I heard.

[lonestar]

Well DTF, you strike again. This is a really cool album and I値l revisit for sure.

Sound wise I hear Caligula痴 Horse, Bent Knee, The Dear Hunter (in the movie score style orchestral arrangements) and some heavier djenty/prog metal. I love a good melting pot like this.

Tim, I知 surprised, I wouldn稚 have picked this as something you壇 have loved to be honest. No denying this is worth checking out.

I definitely got those playful Bent Knee vibes as well, and some. Caligula's too.

[lonestar]

Still neck deep in this one...what's impressing me most is how deftly they intertwine the story and the music. Lyrically it's soooooo beautiful, and her voice carries the story brilliantly, and the music follows every emotion at every step. The moment's of musical wankery aside (which are actually really solid moments), this album is perfect in every way.

[jammindude]

Just ordered both CDs and a shirt. I知 REALLY impressed with this band.

[lonestar]

Just ordered both CDs and a shirt. I知 REALLY impressed with this band.

I got both shirts and a HD download (don't do physical media anymore unless it's signed or something)

[TAC]

I like the album a lot, but I'll stick with Spotify. 

[lonestar]

I like the album a lot, but I'll stick with Spotify. 

For about 90% of what I listen to, I will as well, but there's a lot of detail in this one that spotify compresses the shit out of. I do the same for all of Nemophila's releases cause what they drop on spotify is a shell of the lossless stuff.


Speaking of spotify, they got a new service coming out where all the music will be CD quality. I plan on looking into it, but am hesitant since I get free Hulu through my Spotify and don't want to lose that.

[TAC]

I like the album a lot, but I'll stick with Spotify. 

For about 90% of what I listen to, I will as well, but there's a lot of detail in this one that spotify compresses the shit out of. I do the same for all of Nemophila's releases cause what they drop on spotify is a shell of the lossless stuff.

Nah, I get it. Some stuff is so good to you that you have to buy it.

It's still a personal struggle deciding to buy CD's, downloads, or just Spotify.

[lonestar]

I like the album a lot, but I'll stick with Spotify. 

For about 90% of what I listen to, I will as well, but there's a lot of detail in this one that spotify compresses the shit out of. I do the same for all of Nemophila's releases cause what they drop on spotify is a shell of the lossless stuff.

Nah, I get it. Some stuff is so good to you that you have to buy it.

It's still a personal struggle deciding to buy CD's, downloads, or just Spotify.

As stated above, I just don't listen to physical media anymore. I'll buy a signed copy at a show, or for some of the J-metal bands they only do package deals to get shirts, so I'm now the proud owner of a Lovebites and Lonesome_Blue disc just cause I wanted their shirts.


I have a very bad problem with shirts these days, I'm literally buying like 2 a week online now 

[TAC]

I'd certainly take Lovebites' shirts off of them..

[lonestar]

I'd certainly take Lovebites' shirts off of them..

yeah, try that with Midori, she'll kick your out of shape ass into next week...

[TAC]

I'd certainly take Lovebites' shirts off of them..

yeah, try that with Midori, she'll kick your out of shape ass into next week...

 

[nick_z]

Nah, I get it. Some stuff is so good to you that you have to buy it.

It's still a personal struggle deciding to buy CD's, downloads, or just Spotify.

Right?! I mean, I use Amazon Music, but it's basically the same thing.  These days, when available, I like to buy CDs from Bandcamp as they come with digital too, in any format you want. Otherwise, Amazon - preferably with the Autorip option. I used to rip all of my CDs using some older laptop, which has recently died. I should get an external CD reader/writer...but then I'm thinking, do I really need to do that? So now, for certain albums, I do indeed struggle  I still have a nice system to play my CDs, but I don't get to do it very often anymore. For example, the first Tanith album is available on Amazon, but the CD doesn't come with Autorip. The band sells the digital-only version on Bandcamp. What to do? I know, real problems 

[hefdaddy42]

Listened to this one today.  Really nice.

Some of the lyrics seemed a little hokey to me, which is always a danger with a concept album, but hopefully the music is good enough to balance that out, and this case it certainly was.  Very tasty.