John McKinstry - Goliath Falling Review
Posted by Jesse Coy on 07.03.2008
Looking for a great 2008 summer soundtrack? Here it is, and find out why it comes from this Toronto-based singer/songwriter.
John McKinstry Goliath Falling
June 2008
Mojo Brand Music
I have found a great summer album, or a great summer album has found me. I could tell right off with the opening track, “Devil I Know,” as the horn section slowly creeps in, and is then let loose full scale via the bridge… this is a great track. And it’s just one of many high points on this album.
So the info I got on this one is that John McKinstry is a Toronto-based singer and songwriter, and then looking at the CD insert, there’s an opening note that the songs are the result of a two-year walkabout through various distant points around the globe. And maybe that’s another reason this release appeals to me so much, with its traveling vibe.
The only way I can pinpoint exactly what that means is that you have a lot of different musical styles at play. The press material narrows it down to a description of “rock, soul, and reggae,” but there are several other genres, too. “Orion” is a wicked ska number, in classic ska form, the horns having their mid-song solos. Again, too… great summer track. I want to be on a beach somewhere, mixed drink in hand.
With “Orion,” you can be somewhere in the Caribbean, looking up at the night sky, but then it’s followed by “Crackdown,” which is a really bluesy rocker, and when I listen to this, maybe I’m hearing it at a underground rock club in Chicago or New Orleans (summer time, still).
Here’s another thing, too… being a reviewer forces you to constantly examine your own tastes and preferences for excellence. The thing is, sometimes in reviews, I’ll advise a release… “you’re too broad. You need to focus on one of these sound styles you’re exhibiting, and not be all over the place.”
So why not the same critique for Goliath Falling? The reason is simple. Even though John hits upon several varying musical genres, there is a unifying thread. Maybe it’s the fact that the songs were all born out of the same two-year travel experience. Maybe it’s something else. Whatever it is, the songs belong and fit perfectly together on this album.
Briefly, some more highlights… “Andean Heights” is one of my two favorite straight out reggae tracks (or maybe this one is a bit reggae ska?). I’m a bit jealous here, because I’ve yet to hit South America in my travels. The other really reggae track, with a darker tone, is “Baptized in Fire,” which is followed directly by the title track, almost like part two of this story, where the evil leaders of the previous track (he references Zimbabwe, for example… very relevant now) have their fall… but this one’s a happy, upbeat tune.
“Our Countries, Right or Wrong” has banjo and fiddle, a very countrified and sarcastic tune…
so cast your stone, you men at home,
we’re always right, they’re always wrong…
be like me, look like me, talk like me, and pray like me,
when you’re just like me, I can be at ease, our countries right or wrong
It’s a gem of a tune.
The 411: I think this is my first 9-rating of the year. The range overall impresses me, but even more so, the fact that it all comes together via some unifying element (likely travel, and this reviewer is a travel buff).
