San Luis Obispo's Candle has been shaped by constant arrivals and departures over the course of its existence. After three releases, three tours, and regular lineup changes, nearly all of the current musicians involved with Real Love Records (and then some) have come together for an new and expansive 7-person lineup of Candle. With the departure of Jon Wilson and Rachel Spotten, the three core members of Candle recruited labelmates Patrick Patton (bass), Andrea Patton (keyboard), George Major (violin, cello), and newcomer Mark Iseman (lap steel/slide). With most of the members busy with school, work, and etc. over much of 2008, their new EP release Maybe Goodbye feels like a refreshing return of musical focus for the group, and it can't hurt that the music itself is excellent.
Right off the bat, opener "Blue Dress" sounds fresh and live in the studio. It immediately becomes apparent that lead singer/songwriter Kevin Coons seems to have refined his lyrical ability; while some lyrics contained within their last release "Miles and Miles and Miles" seemed too obvious and predictable at times, Coons' new batch of lyrics is rewarding and requires quite a few listens to soak everything in. The instrumentation is lush without ever being cluttered, and the production quality has seen a dramatic improvement from their somewhat compressed and flat-sounding last release.
"Moonstone Beach" takes an interesting turn for the group's sound; a handclap/piano led intro soon gives way to a shuffling, organ-swelled pop sound. While the chorus doesn't quite soar like it should, the song is a quite passable tune that grew on me with time. Immediately following is "Barstow Trainyard Blues", which unfortunately suffers from poor production in some aspects, especially the strange backwards-reverb effect applied to Coons' voice. The song mostly succeeds, yet the mixing of the tracks could definitely have been improved to complement its overall mood.
Fortunately, everything following "Barstow" is nothing short of excellent. The perfect "Little Cloud" features stunning cello work from George Major, a beautifully introspective mood, and a Candle first - a vocal solo from another member - in this case, keyboardist Andrea Patton. "Foreign Land" is absolutely incredible in every way; every member is at peak form and sharing a vocal, with a wicked assortment of instruments hurtling full-speed toward the song's climax. It may be the greatest moment the band has had in its recorded history.
This collection of songs is the sound of a well-broken-in lineup of friends and musicians happy with where it is in its history, acknowledging its place in its environment, and never lacking in creative juices or succumbing to passivity in its sound. The only problem I had with this record is that it wasn't a full length. Overflowing with stellar songcraft, boundless energy, and modern translations of classic influences and ageless themes, Maybe Goodbye is a triumph.
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