The second short release from this outfit, Happy Omen finds Goon winding its collective brain around leaner and darker ideas. I wouldn't go so far as to call these boys "experimental fringe" (a phrase that appears enough to make me think it was in a press release or something), but the intricate lines and tight connections are certainly more challenging than one usually finds in a mainstream act.

Goon Happy Omen EP (self-released)

Think Shins without the twee. This is basic 90s indie pop with math bones and electronic robes. Maybe this is the modern direction of prog. Except that these ideas have been around for a couple of decades, and there are still plenty of proggy types out there.

Goon utilizes plenty of found sound along with its elliptical musical approach to create a sound that is decidedly its own. I hear plenty of influences burbling about, but the real treat here is how Goon has incorporated its disparate impulses in such an appealing way.

Which leads to the obvious question: How about a full-length? I know, that's an almost archaic notion, but sometimes geezers like me prefer to hear more than six songs at a time.

Jon Worley