Review: The Goodfight "Good and Evil"

The Goodfight is a one man rock and roll show from Athens, GA...this man is Jonathan Rich. This sophomore release is a "double EP" entitled, "Good & Evil" and follows the debut record, "Home Again". Why double EP rather than full-length CD? Jonathan explains, "Originally, I was just going to put out an EP with six songs on it, but the project kept evolving and taking shape. I found myself continually deconstructing it and putting it back together again and again, month after month after month. In the middle of writing I had a kid, flipped a house, and started a clothing company. At some point during the process, the idea of a double EP that, when put together, formed an LP surfaced."

Now with that cleared up (?), let's just get to the 12 tracks on the CD. As one might surmise, there is a distinct dichotomy between the two halves of "Good & Evil". Side one is called "We are far too easily pleased" and consists of mostly catchy rock with preachy song titles such as "Honesty Is The Best Policy" and "Those Pills and That Bottle Are A Trap" that almost make me feel like my mother is going to sing these songs to me. Other titles I believe I've seen in fortune cookies ("Success Doesn't Fix Everything"). The second side is called "Holiday" and is comprised of more unplugged, but deeply textured pieces that are more of an art than pop music. So side one will appeal to the popsters who crave instant gratification; side two to those who are more into quiet, fine dining.

As Jonathan Rich elaborates, "I thought it would be interesting to build a massive divide between the two EPs, while still telling a story that was central". And this is exactly what he does on "Good & Evil". Readers who know me will have guessed by now that I am way more into the songs on side one. Favorites include the snappy "I Put You In A Box But I'm The One That's Boxed In", the highly melodic "She's Too Pretty To Be So Ugly", and the slow burner "Mirrors Don't Lie But People Do". And, just to showcase my occasional inclination towards musical sophistication, I will also highlight "Revolution" from side two.

I recommend The Goodfight to fans of Dashboard Confessional, Death Cab for Cutie, and Snow Patrol. As a bonus, The Goodfight is offering a sticker, button, poster, and screen printed sack for the first 300 sold. Even more important, Rich is living up to his band moniker's name - as part of The Goodfight10000, all revenue generated by physical and digital sales of "Good & Evil" will be given to Living Water International to help fund projects that build wells and provide poverty stricken communities in countries all over the world access to clean water. Good on you, Jonathan, and best of luck!

iPOD-worthy: 2, 3, 4, 10

The Goodfight on MySpace. Official site.