Album Of The Week: My Goodness’ Shiver + Shake

There must be something in the air wafting around Seattle. Ever since the early ’90s alternative rock explosion that made flannel a prime fashion statement, the music scene in The Emerald City has seen a variety of acts come through. Hardcore punks Blood Brothers, math rockers Minus The Bear and more recently, soul, blues and folk acts like The Cave Singers, Pickwick and Reignwolf come to mind. Now there’s another act that’s part of this historic lineage of awesome bands from Seattle in My Goodness. This hard rockin’, foot-stompin’ blues duo have their debut album, Shiver + Shake, currently out and it’s something spectacular.

Before you let your mind go to those White Stripes & Black Keys generalizations, do some research and you’ll find that My Goodness’ musical roots are deeply entwined in the Seattle sound. Working with an absolute pro in Rick Parashar (who produced both Pearl Jam and Blind Melon’s debut albums) has paid dividends on Shiver + Shake. With a perfect quality that makes you feel every riff and beat, turn this baby up and you’ll be compelled to think My Goodness is playing live in your kitchen. The raspy howling of guitarist and vocalist Joel Schneider’s voice gives this gem a rigid edge, like covering a smooth ivory stone in beige sandpaper. Listening once won’t be enough. Once you hear Shiver + Shake, I guarantee you’ll have it on repeat.

I love it when people say rock ‘n’ roll is dead and then it turns out they haven’t bought a new album since Milli Vanilli were being made fun of on “The Arsenio Hall Show.” Educate yourself by listening to the top tracks off of my Album Of The Week.

The fuzz that’s abundant in “Check Your Bones” exudes pure rhythmic sweetness; Schneider’s six-string snarls like a dog in heat. Jumping out of the speakers is “Say You’re Gone,” a mosh pit anthem that will have you bumping into anything that moves in no time. Soft at the start and then raucous throughout, “Cold Feet Killer” got the fever to make you get down with the bluesy disease. As always, I only can name a few so consider this just a tease. Don’t like being teased? Then go buy Shiver + Shake and listen to the whole damn thing. It’ll bring shivers up your spine, make you shake like a leaf on a tree and bring you to the place you want to be.

My Goodness don’t have any shows going on in the immediate future, so let’s hope they roll on through New England before the end of the year.

My Goodness’ Website: mygoodnessmusic.com