If you were forced to name any bands from Finland, could you do it? The only ones that immediately spring to my mind are metal groups, such as HIM or Apocalyptica, but the list stops there. There’s not a ton of groups that are strong enough to make it across the various borders between Finland and America, and when they do, they’re generally extremely distinct and niche in their sound and appeal. With Willie and the Goodsouls heralding from Finland, I had to triple check their origins as they’re a band that sounds more at home in American rock than most
American rock bands do. There’s not a hint of metal in their approach, as they instead choose to pay homage to the greats such as Jimi Hendrix in their guitar stylings, and through the use of both rock and soul, they channel a wide range of acts from Bob Dylan to Guns ’n Roses. Back with their third release, a self-titled album this time around, there’s nothing these guys can’t do.
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Taking full advantage of the idle time they had on their side due to the global shutdown, Willie and the Goodsouls went to work as soon as they could on a new project. With their self-titled coming four years after their previous studio release, Free Willie, there was plenty of time to hone in on their direct influences and give listeners an album that was worth the wait. Fans can rest assured that the band has done exactly this, as each of the eight tracks within “Willie and the Goodsouls” feels fully realized and pushed to its furthest potential.
Undoubtedly, fans will also notice that the self-titled release is the band’s shortest LP yet — worry not, all thirty minutes of the album are as engrossing and as entertaining as any project even twice as long. Standout tracks include “Future,” a catchy and upbeat, bass-driven song that belongs on the radio, and the softer, almost inconsequential “Baby I’m the Man” for its total upheaval of the album’s established sounds thus far. The contrast between the songs before “Baby…” and the album closer feel that much more impressive due to its placement within the tracklisting.
A Finnish band delivering a more American experience than any other American band; what’s more central to the American Dream than that, huh? There’s a good weight to Willie and the Goodsouls’ self-titled album with enough levity and self-seriousness that will give way to repeat visits for me; the project never loses sight of its arc and the band never gives way to delivering what might seem like the easiest path. Each song packs a unique punch tied to its place within the structure of the album’s eight-song narrative, and by the time it ends with “Worlds and Ya-Ya’s,” there’s a much-deserved catharsis achieved by the band.
The release within the album finale delivers highs most bands only dream of, and that’s what sets Willie and the Goodsouls apart — there’s only so much dreaming you can do if you aren’t going to go out and get it, and this is a band that’s gone out and got it.
Patrick Orr