GOON - “Emily Says”

SXSW 2023 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…Wednesday, Spirit of the Beehive, Sasami

GOON’s music is woozy and psychedelic, dreamy and spacious. Even so, there’s a comforting, melancholy rock core that anchors these adventurous tendencies. They find warmth in heavy shoegaze moments on their 2022 full-length Hour of Green Evening, moving in and out of these spaces and seesawing with airy, dream-pop melodies. It’s exciting to hear both ambience and density explored in the same record, something GOON achieve through songwriting that could be boiled down to acoustic folk-pop if sound layers were peeled away (it’s good they aren’t though!). Moving and interesting, Hour of Green Evening is a good front-to-back listen to really experience the depth and breadth of the LA-based rock band. GOON showcase Friday night at Low Down Lounge right before fellow recommended artist POSTDATA. (Kevin McStravick)