Little here is intrinsically different to what Sebadoh, Folk Implosion and Dinosaur Jr. man Lou Barlow has offered previously. His musical Sat Nav continues to guide him down a pitted and pockmarked path, as he underscores his tales of wayward love with raggedly charming tunes. Along the way, Barlow is assisted by the likes of Lisa Germano, Imaad Wasif and Melvins drummer Dale Crover. ‘Faith In Your Heartbeat’ is the sort of tender lament that Elliott Smith kept in his locker, whilst the deft guitar of ‘The One I Call’ conjures up the Beatles with a bruised melody.
He does a nice line in surging power pop on ‘Sharing’ and lards ‘One Machine, One Long Flight’ with enough idiosyncrasies to keep things interesting. ‘Take Advantage’, meanwhile, makes a virtue of simplicity and playful lyricism. You could compare Goodnight Unknown to the experience of watching a favourite film – you might know the plot inside out, but you’ll find yourself captivated nonetheless.