Goodluck Jonathan

Aptly and awkwardly named after the current president of Nigeria or just wishing good tidings upon someone called Jonathan. Either way, Goodluck Jonathan's strange name reflects into their strange blend of indie and post rock. Incorporating the elements of indie bands such as The Kooks, The Maccabees and Foals whilst blending it alongside an At the Drive In and Minus the Bear influence.

'Fatman' begins with a pounding drum beat followed by a muffled bluesy riff before transitioning into some supercharged adrenaline pumping chorus. The bridge shows both guitarists working over the top of one riff, one stabbing chords, the other playing the main riff before coming together to create a beefy sound in the chorus.

The lyrics in this EP tackle a wide variety of topics, 'Fall of America' is a politically charged anthem in disgust to a certain ex-president ("One day he'll die alone"). whist 'Backs To The Wall' is an angsty upbeat song where lead singer, Nick Brookes screams "Your backs to the wall, so keep on pretending that you're not gonna fall". Catchy as fuck. 'Away From Here' is a perfect end to the EP. The chorus is a huge singalong moment and the production is brilliant considering they're just a small indie band.

In a world where the music industry is plagued by the likes of Justin Bieber and weekends and charts are taken over by The X Factor, Goodluck Jonathan manage to fill the void that bands like At the Drive in left open, Goodluck Johnathan differentiate themselves from current bands piled into the same genre by incorporating pop sensibilites and manage to create huge atmosphere between 5 people. Can't wait for the third EP lads.
- George Gadd

Über cool, angst-ridden art-rock meets an intelligent emo/metal blend and even nods to math-rock (see 'Broken Heart'). There's a whole load of dramatic energy, a whole load of swaggering attitude, and the sweat of the mosh to boot; 'This Is Our Way Out' is a debut that will leave you gasping for breath yet gagging for more. Creating an anxious, on-edge feel right from the top, Brighton based five-piece Goodluck Jonathan's debut EP precisely fuses choppy, angular guitar parts with distorted heavy metal riffs, power chord choruses and tense yet impressive vocal diversity. With an abundance of mid-track time and/or tempo changes, breakdowns and a heap of dynamic and instrumental interest, Goodluck Jonathan are not scared of variety; and quite right too, they're tight as hell.
'Bruises Disappear' opens the EP with a distorted, delayed, repeated-note guitar line doubled by the bass; an urgent repeated-note spine which continues through much of the track with harmony changing over the top. The sound is immediately reminiscent of the likes of Foals and Bloc Party, only when the drums enter giving the track a grunge/metal edge it's clear Goodluck Jonathan have more bite than their contemporaries. A grungy, heavy chorus breaks the repetition of the underlying harmony and shrieking guitars are contrasted with soaring vocals. Later, 'Lights Burn My Eyes' contains a similar catchy, soaring chorus over menacing, screaming distorted guitars again contrasted with more mellow, indie verses. Something of a white Kele Okererke, vocalist Nick Brookes alternates between angular, nervy, speech-like singing and breaking through into a powerful soar; chunks of distressed, news-report-like text spoken through a megaphone also interrupt Brookes' Okereke-like, heavily accented singing. 'Stranded' is the most accessible on 'This Is Our Way Out', with its' infectious, chanted chorus, although, following a mid-track break down, GJ take us half-time before repeating the furious, driven chorus, heralding great whiffs of the likes of System Of A Down and Rage Against The Machine.
Having featured on NME's daily download list alongside Manic Street Preachers, Goodluck Jonathan are already getting themselves around. Combine that with this tight, superb debut EP release and I think you'll find one thing is certain; Goodluck Jonathan are coming to get us. Impressed and thirsty for more.
- Hannah Spencer

Brighton five piece Goodluck Jonathan (presumably named after the Nigerian President) are not a band to hang around. September saw the release of their first in a trio of EPs ‘Broken Heart’. Now, before the drums from that four track masterpiece have even finished ringing in my ears comes second EP ‘This Is Our Way Out’. Continuing from where they left off, the four tracks here see Nick Brookes’ emotional and melodic vocals (think along the lines of the Maccabees) blended with explosive drums and awesome guitar riffs in a brave and unusual but ultimately satisfying combination of indie and post rock. Lyrically they pay as much care and attention to the songs as they do musically; as Nick Brookes sings ‘my hearts getting faster with every beat/I think it my explode/I don’t want to die alone’ (‘Fatman’) you can almost feel his pain. The lead song, ‘Backs To The Wall’ with its great hooks and sing-along chorus, is probably the best song on the EP but it’s a close call. 8/10 - Mark Cousens