Good Friday Experiment

There's no such thing as working too hard in music, and few groups understand this more than Good Friday Experiment. It's only been a matter of months since the group's last full-length recording, the enchanting Spread Out Inside. With this release, most seemed appreciative of Good Friday Experiment's subtle progressions and expansion of their sound since Bottom of a Pail Breaking Through. Seconds after pressing play, the natural reaction is to crank up the volume and scratch ones head over the foreboding silence that fills the room. The confusion is thankfully short-lived, as the listener is then floored with a mountain of synths and guitar washes. Yes, this is indeed a Good Friday Experiment recording. While opener "The Futurist" could be called by-the-numbers GFE, the EP takes some interesting directions in its wake. The title tack is as close to a soft, acoustic lullaby as the group is capable, and "Marsona" begins with bubbling ambient textures set against a steady drone with a retro-panning effect that soon dominates the mix. The song retreats into silence before the Justin McNeight's wounded vocals fill the emptiness, making a fitting transition to yet another ballad-style dirge. "Casual Static" soon takes a left turn, however, and the listener is allowed to sink into a glorious ten-minute outro that is equally spooky and comforting. The EP may be a whisper to Spread Out Inside's bang, but the simple arrangements and greater mastery of the pop-song format show GFE to be growing significantly as songwriters. For the first time since their inception, GFE sounds like a band that could reach beyond the experimental scene that has nurtured them. It may not exactly be top 40 territory, but music this well-crafted and evocative should not go unnoticed. A final plea to salvation, "Whatever Will Keep You Around," continues GFE's exploration of more conventional song structures with a nearly anthemic chorus. If Halocline is a small taste of what is to come for the group, GFE's next album just might be its first true masterpiece. (self-released)

-- Mike Misiak - Performer Mag

“Atlanta’s own Good Friday Experiment has been slowly crafting a sound for itself by merging otherworldly environments with ‘60’s pop sensibilities and a space rock ambiance. Like the dog end of a drug-addled evening gone by, the band combines the dark psychedelia of Pink Floyd and The Electric Period of Miles Davis, with the droning ambiance of Low, Spiritualized, and Spacemen 3 to embark on a blissful journey to the dark side of the moon, while floating through space on laser guided melodies.”

--Chad Radford - Southeast Performer

“Collection of almost acoustic pop that’s airy without being flimsy. Wet, reverb-drenched vocals shiver over gentle sounds.” – Tony Ware, - Creative Loafing