The Goon Sax – We’re Not Talking – Album Review by Killian Laher

The Goon Sax are a ridiculously named Australian band featuring Louis Forster, son of Go-Between Robert.  Their second album is a thing of joy.  Twelve brief songs, many lasting no more than two minutes.

Make Time 4 Love is introduced by Forster’s flat, wobbly vocals over what sounds like bongos and strummed guitars with occasional strings and brass.  It shouldn’t work but it does.  There are many songs that evoke the Go-Betweens, such as Love Lost, sung by guitarist James Harrison.  The band make no attempt to disguise their Australian accents (see She Knows, pronounced as “she knoouuuws”), which work well with the occasional breakout of electric fretplay amongst the strumming.  Keyboards also make an appearance, giving the guitars a brief rest on the 61 second Somewhere in Between and the 78 second Now You Pretend.

Gorgeous, summery guitar chords open Strange Light.  Sung by drummer Riley Jones, her sweetly hesitant vocal gives the song a lazy, Belle and Sebastian (when they were good) feel to it.  The propulsive guitars of Sleep EZ give way to exquisite jangle in the chorus, Forster and Jones’ voices combining well over the top.

The album comes and goes in half an hour, and it will please guitar fans young and old.  As well as the songs being finely crafted the album is… well, fun!

Track List –

1. We’re Not Talking
2. Love Lost
3. She Knows
4. Losing Myself
5. Somewhere In Between
6. Strange Light
7. Sleep EZ
8. We Can’t Win
9. A Few Times Too Many
10. Now You Pretend
11. Get Out
12. Til the End

Make Time 4 Love