Good Looks - “Almost Automatic”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 3

Pairs Well With…Deer Tick, Wilco, Steve Earle

If you close your eyes and think “alt country rock”, chances are your imagination will draw something close to Good Looks’ debut Bummer Year. Southern rock songwriting mixes with indie rock crunch on the seven songs that make up Bummer Year, distorted in a way that provides texture versus going a garage-DIY route. Nothing is shiny here and Good Looks’ ability to sound rusted feels natural and effortless from note one. Break down the instrumentation and their songs sound kind of timeless, expertly crafted and coming across as personal and real. That said, the band can unleash a guitar jam on a whim (see the back half of highlight “21”). Add in some slow psych rock (“Balmorhea”), folk pop (“Bummer Year”), and basement punk (“Vision Boards”), and Good Looks is not only a band nailing a core sound, but also mapping out interesting reroutes early in their career. If your SXSW path includes looking for an excellent new rock band to follow into the future, Good Looks is an excellent local bet. (Kevin McStravick)