Goodness

Critic Score
Based on 13 reviews
2016 Ratings: #50 / 1004
User Score
Based on 318 ratings
2016 Rank: #236
Liked by 14 people
May 27, 2016 / Release Date
LP / Format
Tiny Engines / Label
Emo / Genre
Sign In to rate and review

CRITIC REVIEWS

100
A.V. Club

What makes Goodness feel like a true album instead of just a very good collection of songs is how much all of these aspects establish a mood from which the band never breaks.

90
SPIN

Goodness is a spiritually rich listen, but none of it would matter much if it weren’t such a goddamn great rock album.

90
Exclaim!

Goodness is less immediate than its predecessor, Home, Like Noplace Is There. Gone is the tension, the nervous energy and the burning pain, replaced instead with a warm glow — a fullness. Here, the Hotelier showcase their growth, emphasizing how they have changed and developed as humans and as musicians.

90
The Young Folks

While Home, Like Noplace Is There tackled themes of deep despair and grief and how to deal with a life that has dealt you loss upon loss while Goodness, still tinged with an atmosphere of grief as people try to move forward, has a glimmer of genuine hope as the lyrics suggest a person trying to pick up the pieces of their life and seek out another day, a happier day perhaps, one that will offer music and joy.

83
Consequence of Sound

This music is powerful, eliciting physical responses, the feelings located in different parts of the body that the brain may otherwise tune out — arm hair bristling or the pulse booming in the ears. 

80
Pitchfork

For as riotous as it can sound, Goodness is remarkably precise in how it plays with dynamics and layers.

80
AllMusic
Whether or not the Hotelier fully identify with the emo-revivalist tag that has been thrust upon them, they've created an intense and affecting rock album that can be accessed and understood across genre lines.
80
The Line of Best Fit

Even on Goodness, which is mellower and more mature than their last album, there is still a fieriness to everything the band does.

75
Pretty Much Amazing

This record is well-written and has a strong emotional core, and while Goodness doesn’t match the raw feeling or sincerity of Home, Like Noplace Is There, it’s well worth the time of any self-respecting emo junkie.

70
Rolling Stone

Raw-hearted bursts of bald guitar churn backing lyrics that hunger for meaning in terms that'd be corny if the music didn't hit so hard.

60
DIY

Holding ‘Goodness’ up as a direct counterpart to ‘Home, Like Noplace Is There’ is unfair; it’s a sprawling record which reveals itself more slowly and with greater subtlety, opposed to ‘Home…”s immediate punch.

AzuretheCat
91

100th rating

When I originally listened to this album last year, I didn't like it. Not because it was Goodness, but because it wasn't Home, Like noplace is There - my favorite album. At that time, it just felt like it lacked the emotional punch and musical grit that Home brought.

After giving this album some time, I think I can say I can enjoy this album for what it is. Whether intentional or not. Goodness is a foil to Home. Whereas Home is an album of death and despair, Goodness is an ... read more

musicmagpie55
81

This is one of the albums I wish I could give my teenage self. It took me by complete surprise the first time I heard it because I was not expecting to find such a fun update to the emo-tinged, pop-punk music of my youth. The album opens with this kind of cheesy spoken word track. I was worried the entire thing would drip with a forced sincerity that would wear on me quickly. Once I realized the title was random GPS coordinates, I was ready to call it a day. This album seemed a little too into ... read more

mjv1214
100

Despite the split ratings for this track, I think that this deserves to be known for many years to come. A lot of good came out of this track and I would even say that it is better than Home on all levels. This is clearly not supposed to be Home so stop comparing it. Anyways, yeah lmao.

ShoegazeJake
100

Unblur the naked people!

OhTheWater
100

Emo's Astral Weeks

dt_chun
100

review soon

edit: alright here's my review.

it's good.

Purchasing Goodness from Amazon helps support Album of the Year. Or consider a donation?


Added on: March 21, 2016