Artist: The Go Down

Artist: The Go Down

Link: https://www.facebook.com/thegodown88

Review taken from the archives:

The Go Down is all about Josh Spy's guitar patterns and Brittany Lee's vocals in harmony. Intricately woven guitar textures carry songs that are as influenced by Arrow-era calypso/soca as they are by Vampire Weekend-vintage world music (and even the urban folk of Tracy Chapman). But as The Go Down utilizes the entire traditional drum kit, and sets the bass lower in the mix, the rhythm section nudges The Go Down closer to The White Stripes than to other bands of the neo-tribal genre.

While I consider album-opener, "The Street," to be the opposite side of the same coin as "They'll Never Know," it's valuable currency nonetheless, replete with guitar fretting that never ceases to amaze. Need more proof? Fire up any of the nine intros ("Manifest" among them), and hear Spy transform complex guitar parts into beautiful simplicity.

Brittany Lee's vocal contributions are special throughout. Look no further than the album's song-writing standout, "Shining Light." It starts with, what else, an original guitar lick. Spy's lead vocal recalls the lighter side of John Frusciante. And a gorgeously rendered harmony vocal by Brittany Lee joins in romantic chorus, "You're my shining light / In the deep, dark night / You shine so bright / Your light / Will guide me home." The song is, well, a shining light among the sparkling gems of The Go Down -- and they're courtesy of sumptuous harmonies and guitar.