The Good Family

The two generations featured in the Good Brothers and the Sadies make the Good family Canada's premier country/roots rock clan. They've collaborated in different ways previously, but have now coalesced formally into a family group. Given the freewheeling eclecticism of both aforementioned groups, it's no surprise this debut is stylistically diverse. Country, folk, bluegrass, rock and hybrids thereof are showcased, but things always sound coherent. What is new is the emphasis on female vocals, with Margaret Good (wife of Bruce, mother of Dallas and Travis) and secret weapon (niece/cousin) D'Arcy Good taking the lead convincingly on five of the ten cuts. Travis, Dallas, Bruce and Larry Good sing lead on one apiece, while vigorous instrumental tune "Instantmental Breakdown" closes things out. Good Brothers fans will be taken with bluegrass-inflected romp "Outside of Saskatoon," while "Life Passes" and "Taller Than the Pines" have a Sadies vibe. The material was primarily written for this project, with notable co-writers including Greg Keelor and Daniel Romano, while the combination of Dallas (production) and Michael Timmins (mixing) is a winning one. This is an album greater than the sum of its parts — and that means something special is the result when the parts are this talented. The only flaw is its brevity (30 minutes), so here's hoping for a sequel soon.