Goodbye Girl Friday

"Silver or Gold" - Published July 2004

Silver Or Gold is more keyboard-driven pop from Goodbye Girl Friday in the Ben Folds mode. On this sophomore effort, this New York-based band boldly tosses a sitar and some pedal steel into the mix. It all works. “To Be Cool” is a lively portrait of leaving The Small Town and arriving with only dreams lugged in luggage to The Big City. “Are You Serious?” and “Married Man” ably prove that requited love is nice but the unrequited variety is far more effective in inspiring songs.

"Mr. & Mrs." - Published Feb 2003

You can hear echoes of Steely Dan and Ben Folds on Goodbye Girl Friday’s charming new album, Mr. and Mrs. Considering those influences, this jazzy New York-based group could have called themselves Dan Ben or Ben Dan. Either way, Goodbye Girl Friday is so skilled at piano-driven pop that it’s worth popping open a bottle of champagne to celebrate them. There are an embarrassing number of good tracks from the easygoing funk of "Big Red Bong" to "Mr. Rainy Days" with its wildly catchy chorus. Vocalist, main songwriter and keyboard player David Sherman used to listen to Todd Rundgren and sounds a bit like him, too. If that 1970s maverick rock icon ever hears this CD, I bet he’ll become a big Goodbye Girl Friday fan. - Tony Peyser

"Silver or Gold" - 8/1/2004

I love the sound of an electric piano, and GGF's frontperson David Sherman drenches his band's silky pop songs in it on Silver or Gold. Organ, guitar and tastefully deployed synths make their presences known, but the focus is on Sherman's Wurlitzer and boyish tenor. As warm and instantly appealing as the sound is, though, it would be empty atmosphere without songs to give it a spine. Happily, Sherman's winsome tunes work wonders, showing real development over the ones on the band's fine debut Mr. and Mrs.. "Married Man," the title ditty and the bittersweetly hilarious "Are You Serious?" are great pop songs, and would be even if Sherman played them on an out-of-tune harpsichord. Michael Toland


"Mr. and Mrs." - 11/10/02

Formerly a jazz/rock trio called Edison With the Weather, Goodbye Girl Friday is all about the pop on its album Mr. and Mrs. Keyboardist/singer David Sherman, bassist Dan Grennes and drummer Andy Sanesi play warm, melodic songs of romantic entanglements and emotional confusion, with Sherman's electric piano coloring the sound in burnt amber and deep forest green. Funky pop tunes like "Summer-Dusted Mind" and "This Drama You Create" sidle up to smoky ballads like "Mr. Rainy Days" and the title track, and no one goes home alone. No matter the misery conveyed by the lyrics, the analog keyboard sound and the swinging rhythm section wrap around your eardrums like a thick blanket, making the harshest medicine go down like hot chocolate. Mixed metaphors aside, Goodbye Girl Friday makes pop music with heart.
For fans of: Emitt Rhodes, Ben Folds Five, AJ Croce - Michael Toland

Goodbye Girl Friday - "Silver or Gold"
reviewed by Mare Wakefield

Coldplay and Carole King may not have a lot in common musically, but Goodbye Girl Friday counts them both among their influences. Upon listening to the Brooklyn-based trio's sophomore release, "Silver or Gold", you'll hear traces of both the coolness of the rock sensations and the smart, soulful lyrics of the Brill Building's crowned queen.

Goodbye Girl Friday consists of Dan Grennes on bass, Andy Sanesi on drums and David Sherman on vocals and keyboards. Sherman writes for the band, and says it's important for him to keep challenging himself. "This was the first album I wrote away from the piano," he says. "That helped me focus more on the melodies, which makes the songs more singable and memorable."

Memorable melodies are a strength of the album, especially on tunes like the title track: "Silver or gold, it don't last forever, you can lose it all in just one night." Sherman's baritone soars and dives into the melodic lines like a stunt pilot, adding momentum and emotion to the lyrics. Muted electric piano plays jazzy chords over bass, drums and a Wurlitzer.

"To Be Cool" is another album highlight. Sherman explains that the song started with a gospel flavor, but then guest drummer Matt Johnson (Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright) played a "wicked Texas shuffle" that sounded great. "That turned it almost an alt country tune," says Sherman. "We liked the new feel, so Andy took that groove for the recording, and we added pedal steel, accordion and twang." The lyrics describe life in New York. "The song is about being the little fish in the big pond," says Sherman. "It's impossible to keep up with 'cool', so you just gotta be you."

On "Are You Serious?" Sherman perfectly captures the frustrations of a rejected lover, reciting to his ex-girlfriend all the reasons why her new man isn't good enough: "The kid is slick inside with a smile that's born again...he's giving you see-through lines with a glass of Evian...spilling out like skim milk on your cereal." The exasperation of the male ego finally culminates in the last line of the chorus: "Baby, I can take him." Tongue-in-cheek? Possibly. Does it feel genuine? Absolutely.

Sherman admits that writing about relationship trials was a conscious choice. "I tried to disguise the songs as unrequited love songs to get to the bigger themes that were on my mind," he says. Songs about old girlfriends sit beside songs about the dangers of seeking public approval or chasing the wrong people. "The album has a lot to do with accepting who I am, and who I'm not, and moving on."

Goodbye Girl Friday - "Mr. and Mrs." reviewed by Noel Murray

Formerly known as Edison With the Weather, trio Goodbye Girl Friday changed their name as a way of signaling their renewed focus on the pop side of their jazz-pop style. Which isn’t to say that the band’s debut album Mr. and Mrs. doesn’t swing. On the contrary: Dave Sherman’s shimmering electric piano and the spacious rhythms of bassist Dan Grennes and drummer Andy Sanesi allow plenty of room for groove. But the overall sound is fairer and subtler than most fusion-influenced young rock acts. Points of reference include late Steely Dan, Stranger-era Billy Joel and even some of the mellower ‘70s Southern rockers like Starbuck and The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. Sherman’s declamatory vocals add a precise note of affectlessness to his incisive lyrics about romantic dislocation, especially on the winning tracks "A Throw Away" and "This Drama You Create."
- Mare Wakefield & Noel Murray review

First sound: an aggressively uncool yet insistent wurlitzer. Pretty, well-sung vocals. Is that a fucking sitar? I believe it is, indeed.

Reaction: this isn't going to win any hipness awards. Which, of course, makes me like it. But maybe that's Goodbye Girl Friday's nefarious, guitar-free, piano-led Ben Folds Five-like plan. So maybe that makes me not like it. But wait -- why am I worried about the hipness quotient, or clever subversion thereof? Look, my foot's tapping. My head's nodding. However shiny the production, however entirely conventional the songwriting, however much certain measures of certain songs betray a passing acquaintance with the Antichrist of piano rock (Billy Joel, but Elton John is an acceptable second guess), this is a really solid album.

And for God's sake, these guys are plying their trade in Brooklyn. Goddamn hipster central. We're talking huge, huge balls to be able to play this stuff in Williamsburg. The arched brows and sneers from guys in Liars t-shirts must be a sight to behold.

That little psychological tug-of-war out of the way, I could settle happily into enjoying the '70s rock-radio, tinged-with-country, accordion-enhanced swing of "To Be Cool"; the song plays out as a cheerful acknowledgement of the band's most shining and appealing aspect. "I came to New York to be cool / An Indiana drifter on a mule / I've made some mistakes that I wear on my face / I'm not afraid / I'm not a fool / But I ain't cool." Singer/songwriter/keyboardist David Sherman leads us through all of the stages of a Midwestern immigrant's journey of acceptance with a smile on his face and a song in his heart. There's no hint of bitterness or anger.

The very next track, however, lets the clever, witty bitterness and anger flow. Every line in this one is eminently quotable, but the opening salvo is truly fantastic: "You found a guy / A new boyfriend / Stellar eyes, a Brooklyn vegan / He writes songs and sings them on his veranda / Lifts them from his diary / Sets the words to melody / And strums acoustically at bookstores / And he eats his vitamins / Are you serious? / The kid is slick inside and he smiles like he's born again / Are you serious? / Baby, I can take him."

This is definitely one of those albums on which the lyrics are a centerpiece. While the band's aforementioned nonchalance about their q-rating is refreshing, they are as dependent on strong song and lyric writing to save them from saccharinity as their most obvious antecedent, the aforementioned Ben Folds Five. In point of fact, GGF are far more likely to err on the side of cheese, so the structure and professionalism are even more important.

Fortunately, then, the band upholds both throughout Silver or Gold. The Steely Dan-ness of tracks like "Cold Summer Rain" works so well, it overcomes even a natural aversion to Steely Dan. The steel guitar is a perfect accompaniment wherever it appears, especially on the heartfelt and melancholy "Married Man", which sets friendly advice on a swelling tide of beautiful melody.

Is this the kind of album your most dedicated hipster friends might berate you for owning if they hear it? Sure. So don't play it for them. Keep this treasure for yourself.
- Splendid E-zine

Artist: Goodbye Girl Friday

CD: Silver or Gold

Home: Brooklyn, New York

Style: Modern Pop/Rock

Quote: "Goodbye Girl Friday deftly expresses the melancholy mood with exquisitely crafted musicianship and arrangements."

By Suzanne Glass

Led by songwriter-keyboardist-vocalist David Sherman, Brooklyn band Goodbye Girl Friday has a slightly unusual three-piece rock line-up - drums (Andy Sanesi), bass (Dan Grennes) and keyboards (Sherman), but no guitarist. In the studio, they used a group of talented and fitting session musicians to fill out the sound on their new pop/rock CD, Silver or Gold, but when touring, they perform as a power trio.

Sherman's keys are so cool, just calling him a "keyboard player" misses the point. At various times he plays electric piano, wurlitzer, organ, and synthesizers. His voice is also good, a pleasing blend of intimacy and detachment which leaves you hanging on every breath to see where it will move next.

Sherman's songs are pure modern pop masterpieces. The thoughtful, soul-searching lyrics have a way of saying a lot with a little, telling the story with a few very well-chosen words. The album has several songs that seem related to a break-up or other "bad love" situation, and Goodbye Girl Friday deftly expresses the melancholy mood with exquisitely crafted musicianship and arrangements.

"Better on Paper" features clever lyrics and a strong, minor-feel chorus.

Better on paper
Better than alive
Better on paper
Than your guy

"To Be Cool" has a bit of country flavor, and is a story about moving to New York to be cool, but ending up otherwise.

I'm not afraid
I'm not a fool
But I ain't cool

Goodbye Girl Friday features two Berklee graduates (Sherman and Grennes, who met at the Boston school) who used to be infatuated with writing songs that featured odd meters and complex jazz chords, but who recently made the decision to write more "pop-oriented" tunes. I think they have succeeded, because the first two "reminds me of" major artists I thought of while listening were Steely Dan and Matchbox 20 (both of whom I love). So while the band may or may not appreciate the comparison, I think it shows they have achieved the goal they set out to achieve: creating music that richly challenges the musicians, but still resonates with mainstream, 3-chord-loving listeners.

Favorite Songs: "Better on Paper," "Faces," "Cold Summer Rain," "Mother Me"
http://www.goodbyegirlfriday.com

- Suzanne Glass reviews "Silver or Gold"

It isn't easy to describe the music of Goodbye Girl Friday (GGF). If you pushed me I would say it is like a cross between Supertramp and Billy Joel with perhaps a touch of R.E.M. - but in a good way! It is eclectic piano driven pop rock with a melancholy, at time almost tragic, sense. What is refreshing about the music and the lyrics of frontman David Sherman - along with percussionist Andy Sanesi and bassist Dan Grennes - is that they are clearly adult. GGF is not the product of a marketing campaign or a TV reality show. Call me an old foggy if you must, but I prefer actual music created by real people. If you are looking for screaming adolescents, regular pelvic thrusting, or movie tie-ins GGF is probably not for you.
GGF have just released their sophomore effort entitled Silver and Gold. Silver and Gold is an interesting mix of styles and tones, from pop to soul to alternative. What ties the album together is a meditation on the seeming fragile nature of life and relationships. The lyrics of the title track reflect this melancholy feeling:
Silver or gold
It don't really last forever
Truth be told
You can lose it all in just one night
Sherman isn't really concerned with money, however, that's not the silver and gold he's after. Rather it is relationships that are the focus. In the leadoff song, Better on Paper, Sherman takes an ironic, and slightly bitter, look at the media driven nature of our culture and its effect on relationships:

If I was in magazines
Would you think more of me
If you heard about me
Would you be my love
If I was a feature piece
A cover story gravy feast . . .

Similarly in Faces Sherman looks at the games people play in relationships:

I'm not who I've seemed to be
These faces I have worn
Never fully formed
Waiting to be born
Swinger, player, one night strayer
Faces I have worn
A card up my sleeve
A devil to believe
But what if I changed
If I made things right
Would you come back
And turn around the time
And bring me back to life . . .
Sherman returns to this theme throughout. The subject of the aptly titled Married Man apparently loves the other women - someone "chasing a married man." Mother Me communicates the desperate feeling of being rejected by the one you love. In all of these songs there is desire mixed with rejection and yet hope for reconciliation.
To mix it up, Sherman adds in a sarcastic sense of humor. To Be Cool is a sort of comic farce about moving to New York City and getting lost:

I came to New York to be cool
An Indian Drifter on a mule
With swagger and grit & a bag full of tricks
And a casual stutter
Call me brother
I came to New York to be bad
But I can't get away from being had . . .

Are You Serious mocks the "new boyfriend" as a "Brooklyn vegan" who writes music and cuts his own discs "on his used G3." The chorus runs "Are you serious? Baby I can take him."
As you can see, the lyrics are a mix of melancholy, humor, and desire but what about the music? The music is simple yet layered. It is driven by Sherman's vocals and keyboard. His voice is soft enough to match the tenor of the lyrics yet strong enough to add an edge when needed. From the jazzy pop of Silver or Gold and Cold Summer Rain to the soulful Faces and the sarcastic alt country of To Be Cool and Married Man to the simple piano folk of Are You Serious, Sherman is able to match his voice to the mood and style of each particular track. In addition to his voice, Sherman's keyboard work helps tie these eclectic sounds all together. Whether it is his 1962 Wurlitzer electric piano or the 1950's Hammond Organ, Sherman's keyboard work gives each song its unique sounds and yet provides the continuity for the album. Not every song sounds alike but the album holds together as a whole.
As I hope I have made clear, Silver or Gold is a unique and varied album. With adult lyrics and hard to categorize sounds it provides a welcome relief from today’s adolescent and marketing driven pop music. So if you are looking for something a little different, something a little more laid back and less in your face, pick up a copy of Goodbye Girl Friday's Silver and Gold. Save the pelvic thrusts and cookie cutter music for the kids.
- Kevin Holtsberry

Filled with smart, literate lyrics and engaging, well-crafted pop-rock tunes, Goodbye Girl Friday's new album, Silver and Gold, is a bit of a departure from the group's earlier, jazzier works (although in all fairness, the band's prior release, Mr. and Mrs., offered more than a hint of the new direction).

Led by songwriter-frontman David Sherman, Goodbye Girl Friday was born out of the ashes of an earlier group, called Edison With The Weather. In 2002 Goodbye Girl Friday released its debut album, Mr. and Mrs., which garnered strong critical praise and a fair amount of radio play, and earned them a variety of showcase opportunities at various music industry events, including SXSW.

Now the Brooklyn-based band -- which also includes bassist Dan Grennes and drummer Andy Sanesi -- believes its new album, Silver and Gold, will serve as a springboard for even bigger things, including an ambitious tour, strong radio promotion and possibly even the attention of a label with strong distribution. Filled with piano-driven melodies, instrumentation that includes electric and pedal-steel guitar and sitar, and insightful, poignant lyrics that explore the various facets of the human condition, Silver and Gold stands as a testament to Sherman's maturation as a songwriter and the band's power to convey the song's melodic and emotional impact.

A few days prior to Goodbye Girl Friday's CD release party (NYC'sArlene's Grocery on May 21, 2004 at 9 p.m.) David Sherman spoke to StarPolish editorial director James K. Willcox about the new album, the evolution of the band's musical direction, and its plans for the immediate future.


STARPOLISH: You and bass player Dan Grennes met when you were both at Berklee in Boston. How did attending Berklee -- and that school's curriculum -- affect the music you're doing, particularly with the school's strong reputation for jazz?


SHERMAN: The jazz influence was definitely hard to escape, and it puts you into astrange, kind of non-commercial category of music when you combine jazz with rock or pop music. That's why for a while people would say, "Hey, you guys sound like Steely Dan"! because that's pretty much the only band with those influences that broke through on a mainstream level.


STARPOLISH: You then moved to Nashville, which can be an extremely competitive music town. What was your experience there, and what made you decide to move to New York City?


SHERMAN: My lyric writing guru at Berklee was Pat Pattison (he also taught GillianWelch and John Mayer), and he does this great yearly trip taking the kids from the college down to Nashville. Dan and I went on the trip in '93, and it was totally booming down there. Everyone was saying how they were going to make room for other styles of music, so we went for it. It seemed like the place to go--very livable with big industry...kind of like an amazing grad school with a cheap price tag. We moved down in '94 and worked at $8 an hour jobs; our rent was $200 a piece. We hooked up with the Berklee contigent there, which at the time included Gillian and Dave Rawlings and Kami Lyle (formerly on MCA). We played the Bluebird Cafe quite a few times and found a weekly gig on 2nd Avenue. We came up with this obtuse name Edison with the Weather (derived from two songs in our usual set list). Since we had this jazz influence it was pretty easy for us to get noticed, but in the end, there was only so far we could go. It's a country music town through and through. A guy who was shopping our music said we had some interest from Arista and Blue Thumb in NYC, so we decided to use that as acatalyst to get out of town.


STARPOLISH: For a while the earlier iteration of the group, which was called Edison With the Weather, included Ben Butler, a hot Australian guitar player. Could you talk about his departure, and your subsequent decision to continue as a trio? Why did the band's name change to Goodbye Girl Friday? Could you also talk a bit about how not having a guitar player changed your writing and playing?


SHERMAN: Is he hot?? (laughing) Yeah, Ben's a great player, and he was really helpful with the arrangements in our first EWTW CD, Off the Cuff. We were definitely more in the jazz/rock/fusion category back then, and he was perfect for that sound. One day he called and said he wasn't able to do the gig anymore. It was pretty shocking at the time because I thought we were pretty close to getting some kind of record deal. In the end I think it benefited me as a writer because I couldn't rely on him to carry the music through his amazing solos. So we went from jam band/fusion band to singer/songwriter/pop-rock band. One day I brought in a bunch of new songs (which would be our first GGF album, Mr. and Mrs.), and we decided that the simple trio format with no fret buzz worked the best for these songs. We also thought we should change the band name and start fresh. It created a lot of renewed energy. Goodbye Gir - James Willcox

Goodbye Girl Friday have an interesting sound. Musically, they lean toward a jazz flavor, not unlike Steely Dan. But vocally, it would seem singer David Sherman would be much more at home fronting a straight ahead power pop band. Lucky for us, though he and bassist Dan Grennes and drummer Andy Sanesi opted to try something a bit different. And the results are, at times, fabulous. The juxtaposition of Sherman’s voice and Goodbye Girl Friday’s music doesn’t always work for me, but when it does work (as on the opening track, “Summer-Dusted Mind”) it’s incredibly good. Other standouts on the nine-song CD are “Big Red Bong” and “Another Martini Please” (which could be counted as two tracks for a total of ten with it’s split personality and clocking in at eight minutes.) While not one of my favorite songs on the CD, the title track “Mr. and Mrs.” does show Sherman’s abilities as sharp lyricist. Good Girl Friday are obviously talented musicians and they have managed to carve out a unique sound, which is especially refreshing these days. But the pairing of Sherman’s vocals against Good Girl Friday’s jazz-influenced music may not be unique enough to carry them forever. So the question becomes where will they go from here? I am looking forward to finding out. - Wade Paschall

What do you get when you mix rhythmic jazz-rock fusion, progressive pop-tinged funk, and melodic, lyrical vocal musings? Jargon-filled music compartmentalization?
But you also get the sound of Goodbye Girl Friday on their CD release Mr. and Mrs. The trio is entirely comprised of alumni of the prestigious Berklee College of Music located in Boston, Mass., which can claim such famous students as John Mayer and Lisa Loeb and alumni Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, producer Quincy Jones, Paula Cole and Aimee Mann.
The band first formed in 1994 when founding members Dave Sherman (vocals/ keyboard) and Dan Grennes (bass/background vocals) were seniors at Berklee.
After numerous performances in both the Boston and Nashville music scenes (12th & Porter and The Blue Bird Café), the duo formalized their group as Edison With The Weather (EWTW) and recorded their first album Pop Fictions.
Sherman and Grennes decided to move to the big apple, drawn to the musical diversity of the city, and, in 1996, they released their second CD Off the Cuff with Shinya Miyamoto on drums and Ben Butler on guitar. While the album received approval from numerous reviewers and critics, EWTW was still not satisfied with their sound and recruited another Berklee alumnus Andy Sanesi as their permanent drummer.
The trio soon recorded their third album The Big Band Theory under the direction of Prince E. Strickland. Even though their third album was well-received, the group decided they needed a change, and, thus, Goodbye Girl Friday was born.
With their new name and their new CD came the development of a more pop/modern, worldly and electronic sound that is reminiscent of jazz-rock band Steely Dan and pop-rock artist Ben Folds Five.
Their older albums seem more focused on classical jazz styles influenced by artists such as George Gershwin and Charles Mingus. While their new songs are still deeply rooted in the past, their songs from Mr. and Mrs. have expanded by fusing the past with the present and the future.
Notable tracks on the album include the upbeat finale "Another Martini Please" and the lyrically comedic "This Drama You Create." (Think Barenaked Ladies.)
The more mellow and melodious title track "Mr. and Mrs." is the only song on the CD with lyrics printed in the cover booklet. Goodbye Girl Friday has a sound to please anyone from the jazz connoisseur to the pop-rock enthusiast. Mr. and Mrs. will satisfy a listener's need for both innovation and convention and is recommended to those who enjoy artists like Steely Dan and Ben Folds Five. - Ximena Levander

"Silver or Gold," Goodbye Girl Friday (from Brooklyn, N.Y.; playing KoKoMo's Downtown, 300 N. Second St., Harrisburg, Saturday, 11 p.m.):

Flat out: Buy this record, see this band.

Goodbye Girl Friday, a Brooklyn-based trio led by singer/keyboardist David Sherman, has crafted a brilliant disc that is dead-on ready for major-label consumption -- every track could get radio airplay. The evocative, shimmering, bare, little pop tunes are set off by witty, observant lyrics and rooted in very '70s-sounding Wurlitzer piano, which surprisingly serves as the lead instrument. But it's not dated or retro or tacky -- just really nice to hear.

Sherman is a low-key singer, perfectly suited to his musing, introspective material. But the brief songs aren't maudlin or angst-ridden; they're concise, image-laden, moving scenarios of love just starting, love on the outs, and love misguided. He plays with a delicate, emotive, subtle hand, using the Wurlitzer's drippy, warm tone to emphasize, but not undermine, the tracks.

Standouts are too many to list, but the lead-off "Better on Paper," the wry "To Be Cool" (about moving to New York and being a little fish in a very big pool), and the devastating "Married Man" ought not to be missed. It's one of those discs you don't want to end.

"Silver or Gold" is a record for grown-ups -- and don't we need more of those?

For more on the band, head to www.goodbyegirlfriday.com. - The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, PA