The Good Life - Black Out (Cover Artwork)

The Good Life

Black Out (2002)

Saddle Creek

Dan Ocean

I stumbled onto this band when I was looking at Cursive tour dates on the Saddle Creek website. Through further reading I found out that the singer is actually Tim Kasher of Cursive.

I immediately went and bought both of their records. I have to say this is probably one of the best cd's I have ever heard. From the sheer brilliance of the vocals to the undeniably thought provoking music. I shiver everytime I listen to this band. I guess you could say this is a slower paced Cursive with some electronica and an abundance of hooks. The lyrics range from drinking your thoughts away to the heartbreak that Tim Kasher must have been through.

I think that had this been promoted even slightly this would have been on everyone's best of list from last year.

The production is right on key with pretty much everything else from Saddle Creek. Although, I would say that this is the best thing that Saddle Creek ever put by far and they have some amazing talent on their label. This album also feels more fluid than their first release on Better Looking Records. While that was in no means a bad album, I think that the writing on Black Out is the best from Tim Kasher to date. Every song is well crafted and is unique, yet remains with the same feeling of the entire album.

In closing, if you want possibly one of the best (yet slightly depressing) rock records both lyrically and musically look no further. This album is a real find. It has incredible lyrics sung by one todays best front men and no one can deny that.