Only a few years shy of their thirtieth anniversary, the Goo Goo Dolls approach this significant mark as a mature outfit, seemingly conscious of both the band’s core (and successful) values, and contemporary trends. Released earlier this week, the Goos’ latest (and tenth) studio album, Magnetic, exudes sophistication.

Magnetic certainly holds true to the Goo Goo Dolls’ traditional style, evident in its compositional structure and stylistics, and romanticist lyrical themes. Even so, this new record represents an evolution from previous albums. Most prominent of the changes worked into Magnetic is the overall, softer, tone threaded throughout the record. The suppression of lead guitars in favour of denser melodies is particularly evident in numerous tracks; although this does serve to accentuate frontman John Rzeznik’s vocals – a key strength of any Goo Goo Dolls album.

In January the Goos released the album’s first single Rebel Beat. The most likely candidate for lead single, Rebel Beat stands apart as a cheery, punchy, and altogether catchy song that functions well as a representation of the album. There are several contenders for future single releases: for example, Slow it Down and Last Hot Night, both contain similar characteristics to Rebel Beat that enable the tracks to stand out from a broadly strong collection of songs.

Over time Rzeznik has taken on greater responsibility for vocal duties, and Magnetic follows suit as a robust exhibition of the singer’s qualities. Famous for his performances with Iris, Better Days, Name, and a host of other Goo Goo Dolls hits, Rzeznik’s efforts on Magnetic certainly match up alongside this cohort. That said, to maintain tradition, singer-bassist Robby Takac also provides vocals for two tracks on Magnetic: Bringing on the Light and Happiest of Days. Whilst the former attempts a balance of softer melodies with aggressive, guitar-led choruses, the latter is a more melancholy feature that almost disappointing slows the tempo of the album before the record’s finale Keep the Car Running. If representative proportion of vocal performance did not provide an indicator in itself, then a full play-through of this album demonstrates that the Goos’ strength lies mostly in tracks featuring Rzeznik’s lead. Nonetheless, the band have maintained their success for almost thirty years through staying loyal to the formula that satisfies their fanbase, and to drop Takac’s vocals would somewhat detract from the band’s identity.

Magnetic represents a safe, but effective progression for the Goo Goo Dolls. A well-refined set of three-four minute tracks, this new material will likely sit well with the bands’ followers. The album contains few surprises, yet some of the songs – particularly Rebel Beat – may vie for contention amidst the band’s other signature songs (although this album and its 2010 predecessor Something for the Rest of Us have been released following a perhaps premature ‘Greatest Hits’ collection). Also worthy of credit is the records’ production that is decidedly effective, with each track strong in cohesion and clarity. Hopefully this success can be replicated in the live performance of tracks from Magnetic, and fans will get the chance to see the Goos later this year when they tour the album. The tour dates are as follows:

Goo Goo Dolls // UK Tour

October 2013
15 Nottingham Rock City
16 Manchester O2 Academy
17 Glasgow O2 Academy
19 Newcastle O2 Academy
20 Leeds O2 Academy
21 Norwich UEA
23 Birmingham The Institute
25 London Hammersmith Apollo

Words > Chris Morris