Matthew Good

While, in the past, much of the subtlety of Good’s music has gone unappreciated or misunderstood by many of his fans, this record offers little room for such misgivings. With a straight ahead rock’n’roll approach, there is very little in the way of subtlety on this, Good’s second solo release. More along the lines of his early work with the Matthew Good Band, White Light ditches the atmospheric approach that permeated Avalanche, his last record, in favour of songs that sometimes sound a lot like the Tragically Hip. Though there are a few real misses throughout, this simpler approach to music has still resulted in a strong record, buoyed by the intense originality of songwriting on tracks like "We’re So Heavy” and "Blue Skies Over Bad Lands.” While still unlikely to win over many new fans, White Light is guaranteed to please those already appreciative of Good’s work.