For Folk's Sake » Goodnight Lenin

EP | Goodnight Lenin – The Wenceslas Square

For Folk's Sake — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:26:50 +0000

The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel: Goodnight Lenin wear their influences proudly on their sleeves, like shoulder patches holding a worn out jacket together. It still fits and looks rather cool, but you can’t help wondering if it’s seen better days.

The Wenceslas Square is an accomplished EP – the song writing is very ambitious, with proper, specific stories to tell. And the lyrics are well supported by the music, which is uncrowded and carries a professionalism that should hold Goodnight Lenin somewhat above the glut of young acoustic pop bands.

But it rarely has the confidence to take off. The first and last track give some good pay-off musically, but the songs in the middle find it harder to grab my attention. I have a feeling they’d be more commanding live – the subtler dynamics of many a good band are lost in the recording studio.

What’s more, it’s hard to know what to do with a band whose music, although solid, does not match their lyrical ambition. Their throw-back sound seems to come right out of the examples in Simon Reynolds’s Retromania: Pop Culture’s Addiction to its Own Past. They’ve done the hard bit and emerged as strong, original songwriters. Now they need to do the other hard bit and escape (or substantially remould) their influences. I greatly look forward to hearing what they come out with next.

Words: Tom Moyser

Goodnight Lenin

Ian Parker — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:04:34 +0000

A gig in a kitchen gave them their breaks – they’ve played alongside Donovan, British Sea Power and, next month, Admiral Fallow – plus the radio likes them too. The panel stepped in to check out the hype…

Tom White: Fleeing through a forest with a mysterious, unidentified criminal chasing after you, grabbing at your limbs and clothing, is – I would imagine – an extremely frightening experience. However, after listening to the jaunty Crook and the Creek and watching the accompanying tongue-in-cheek, cliché-laden, post-Mumfordian video, I think I’d be up for giving it a try. Goodnight Lenin seem to be having a great time, at any rate. I’d also quite like to take them up on their offer to “come with me to Chamonix” on B-side Ragged Schools, but that’s because I’ve not been skiing for too long. Still, I like their songs a lot, and I like their name a lot – and I can confirm the single is the best release with pictures of strawberries on the cover since the Lightning Seeds’ Jollification album.

Rory Dollard: Quite aside from bearing a name that feels like the result of one of those online band name generators – you feel they could easily have ended up as Snakehips Thatcher or Boxfresh Mandela – this Birmingham five-piece are a highly accomplished bunch. They wear their influences proudly – Simon and Garfunkel and Fleet Foxes both earn a nod in the band’s lilting, pastoral harmonies, while mid-era Bright Eyes makes an appearance from time to time in the delivery. They appear not to share much love for Mumford and Sons, a local press interview with the band deems Marcus and the boys mere ”fluff”, but with their aesthetics and traditional arrangements Goodnight Lenin (Sidecar Churchills, Midtown Merkels….whatever) could do worse than pursue the same audience.

Andrew Gwilym: The first thing that strikes you about Goodnight Lenin is just how rich their harmonies are. The influence of acts such as Simon and Garfunkel and Donovan are clear to hear, and there’s even a hint at The Jayhawks quieter moments, But to talk about influences does Goodnight Lenin a disservice. What really stands out is the quality of the pleasant but memorable melodies. Ragged Schools is an understated but beautiful tune and Crook in the Creek is so immediate that you never feel short-changed that it weighs in at less than three minutes. With the likes of Elbow’s Guy Garvey among their fans, Goodnight Lenin may be destined for bigger things and understandably so given the quality of this release.

Listen to their bits and bobs here

Blog: Moseley Folk Festival recommends

Lynn Roberts — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:50:37 +0000

In 2009 Moseley Folk Festival played host to Beth Jeans Houghton, Frida Hyvonen, Kelli Ali, Drever McCusker Woomble, Rose Elinor Dougall, Smoke Fairies and many more. They kindly got in touch to recommend we listen to Goodnight Lenin recently, and it was so good we couldn’t let them stop at that. Here are some artist tips from some people who are very much in the know:

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For those who haven’t heard of Moseley Folk Festival, we aim to cross the boundaries between traditional and contemporary folk music with previous acts including José González, Jethro Tull, Davy Graham, Fairport Convention, The Bees, Saint Etienne, Morcheeba and Beth Orton.

The festival takes place in a veritable secret garden. Accessed via a small alley way between an estate agent and a pub, Moseley Park is tucked away behind the village high street just two miles from Birmingham’s city centre. As a privately-owned, charity-run park, it is usually only open to key holders. 2010 will be the 5th year of this event and we’re very excited about our line-up so keep your eyes peeled.

Based in Birmingham, Moseley Folk Festival is a little way from the London folk scene but there is plenty going on in the second city. Here are a few of our favourites:

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Goodnight Lenin (MySpace)

Goodnight Lenin caught the attention of audiences in Birmingham after releasing a YouTube video of a simple acoustic performance in which they sat perched on the counter tops of their kitchen. The group attribute their sound to Bob Dylan and Elvis Perkins, mixing folk with a heavy American influence.

2010 is set to be a great year for the band as they will be supporting First Aid Kit on the Birmingham leg of the duo’s UK tour before releasing their first limited edition single in the summer. Yet despite this, Goodnight Lenin can still be found performing amongst the pots and pans in kitchens.

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Malpas (MySpace)

We are definitely not the only ones who expect great things from the Malpas as in recent months they have toured the country with Mr. Hudson and supported OK Go at Birmingham’s O2 Academy. Soon they will be releasing their first single, but true to their loyal following they’re still making time to draw crowds into the local pubs of Moseley. Make sure you give the beautiful tinkling of ‘Under Her Sails’ a listen.

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The Old Dance School (MySpace)

The Old Dance School studied together at the Birmingham Conservatoire and used to rehearse in the garden of the old Betty Fox School of Ballet (hence the name). After three years, 30,000 miles and a few trips to A&E, their distinctive concoction of folk has earned them a place on the festival scene, including Moseley Folk Festival. Members of the group have performed, recorded and toured with the likes of Martha Wainwright, Graham Coxon, and Zoe Rahman.

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We’ve also got a few non-local recommendations we think you might like:

Chivalry isn’t quite dead for Belfast’s The Lowly Knights and with delicately illustrated artwork and songs like ‘Devotion’ they are not to be missed. (MySpace)

For something a bit more physically demanding, Cut A Shine are a troupe of musicians and dancers who are bringing ceilidh dancing well and truly up to date. (Website)

Scotsman Alasdair Roberts explores the realms of traditional music to much acclaim. (Website)

Circulus offer a psychedelic take on the Middle Ages with a variety of strange and wonderful instruments. (MySpace)

Last year we repeatedly coaxed Wolf People out of London and also had them kick off the 2009 festival after party. (MySpace)

Mountain Man are far from the thick set burly lumberjacks the name might suggest as they are actually three ladies from Vermont, USA. (MySpace)

We’re also big fans of Erland & the Carnival (MySpace), Beth Jeans Houghton (MySpace), and Sparrow and the Workshop (MySpace).

For Folk's Sake » Goodnight Lenin

EP | Goodnight Lenin – The Wenceslas Square

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