With some incredibly interesting album artwork, Last Goodbye, the latest release from The Nightmare River Band, is an eye-catcher. The disc opens up with “Introduction,” which is just softly sung “la da das” for 18 seconds. The 11-track release is full of narratives ranging in twangy country jams, alt rock, and smooth Americana. The quintet has a slight barbershop group feel to it with the various tones and styles of each member’s voice. The narrative, “Oh Me, Oh My” is a bittersweet song despite its catchy, upbeat elements. The Nightmare River Band shows off a slightly geeky side for two tracks; “Robots” and “Walk On.” These two pieces stood out among the rest of the disc for various reasons, including style, sound and content. “Robots” is an off-beat romantic song that bounces its way into one’s heart. The track also features guitar and key tones that resemble futuristic sounds. The latter, “Walk On,” is one pop culture reference after another, including Superman, Lois Lane, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, among others.
Although the band experiments with different sounds, they ultimately revert back to the swanky folky vibe from the beginning. “Home” features barbershop quartet-styled vocals but with an added voice, and is one of the drum heavy cuts out of the Americana-styled songs. Last Goodbye ends with a heart aching downer complete with melancholy keys and even bigger vocals to match.
Last Goodbye is kind of slow moving, but it has charm much like a classic Southern gentleman (despite The Nightmare River Band being from New York). Check it out and you might be swept off your feet by the smooth talkers.
