Slowly To Sink by Max Goedecke
In a style of rock that’s often the victim of tonal sameness, Max Goedecke’s NEWSPEAK – streaming in full on digital platforms – features ten tracks with ample versatility. “Slowly to Sink” has a fierce vocal delivery and nice amped-up structure, alternating between rock frenzy and piano-laden moments of lushness. “Like a Child” has a gripping sound that reminds me of if The Waterboys had more of a rock edge, with stomping percussion and vibrant harmonicas leading to a rock-forward series of hooks. “NY Evenin’ Star” is also a notable success, growing from shimmering acoustics to a contagious rock anthem.
Goedecke, who plays ten different instruments in addition to vocal and songwriting duties, emerges as a fierce talent on NEWSPEAK who bridges the divide between nostalgic anthemic rock and contemporary indie-rock charm.
The road to NEWSPEAK was a long way for Max: growing up in a steadily rising indie folk-rock scene in the rural area of Cologne, Germany, with local acts such as Tom Allan and Mario Nyéky, Max released his first 3 song Demo EP Tas Phania in 2013. His childhood friend Phil – who also plays drums on Meant To Be – introduced Max then to the producer Wolfgang Feder, who is an established household name in the acoustic audiophile scene with acts like Richard Bargel.
After producing first demos of Behind The Sun – which can be found filmed on Youtube – Wolfgang realized that Max was looking for a more punchy rock sound. So, Wolfgang would do the mastering of NEWSPEAK and provide Max with constant feedback. Max released 1st demos of his record in 2017 to reach out for local feedback and to found a band around his songs. He ended up with Lisa-Marie Bruynen on drums and Marco Kazmierczak on bass and together they played fierce shows at local clubs such as Blue Shell, MTC – both in Cologne – and Druckluft in Oberhausen.
NEWSPEAK was then released by Ditto Music on the 25th March 2018. Except Meant To Be, Max played on this record all instruments and also did the mixing and recording job. Though it’s heavily influenced by late 80ies songwriters and acts like Tom Petty, Guns N’ Roses and Neil Young, it has also modern influences from the Philly indie scene like Kurt Vile or british songwriters such as Ed Sheeran and Richard Ashcroft.
Links
https://www.maxgoedecke.com/
https://soundcloud.com/maxgoedecke
https://maxgoedecke.bandcamp.com/
