Tobias Jesso Jr.
Goon
[Beggars Group]
Stereogum ran an article in January asking ‘Will 2015 be the year of the 1970s singer-songwriter?’ Compared to those lumped in that bracket (Natalie Prass and Father John Misty) and indeed the originals, he’s far plainer, his rudimentary piano playing coming off more like Daniel Johnson than Randy Newman. Not that keyboard dexterity is any measure of the songwriter (for example, on Jesso’s plaintive YouTube break-out True Love, sadly missing here), but Goon, while pleasant, is a bit one-paced to hang with the lofty references it hopes to.
Words: Ian Lamont
