Of Good Cheer - Of Good Cheer

Of Good Cheer

Of Good Cheer
self-released; 2016

​4.0 out of 5 

By Matt Jensen

Let’s face it most music duos consisting of a gal and a guy are kind of attractive maybe in an almost unconscious way.  You get the whole concept of anima/animus with an expressive sound. I think people are drawn to that. Sometimes the chemistry works great. I personally would think some of The White Stripes success is based on this image along with their innate musical ability. Other times such as the case with the adorable vomit-inducing band Us The Duo it feels a bit contrived.

​Of Good Cheer is a a guy/gal duo comprised of Caroline Williams and Jeff Miller. They have a chemistry that works on their self-titled album Of Good Cheer that feels more natural like The White Stripes and a lot less annoying than Us The Duo. Miller handles the instrumentation while Williams sings. 

Their music does fall into cutesy indie pop territory that is intimate, warm and with a hint of melancholy. There is just no denying that. I was often reminded of Feist and like-minded artists. The general overuse of this type of music in everything from car commercials to playing in your local Starbucks to appeal to your typical hipster in Williamsburg or Wicker Park did leave me bitter for years. That's why I have to extra kudos to this duo. Their music is heartfelt, well-written and extremely well produced. 

In general Williams is the lead vocal even when both are singing and this has to do with the way they sing. Miller sings in a hushed, airy way that sounds as If the mic is about an inch away from his mouth.

​Williams vocals lay on top of his. I want to say Miller provides a metaphorical type of bed for her vocals to rest on. In more technical, engineering terms Miller provides some warm low end frequencies while Williams has almost complete control of the mids and highs. 

As far as the songs go I have little to complain about. The songs unfold in a natural way and I consistently found ear candy within the music. They also do a good job making the album dynamic. “One With You” has celebratory upbeat energy while a song like “Only You” thrives off of a delicate mix of melancholy and hope.

I can’t say Of Good Cheer is reinventing the wheel in any kind of way but the music is good in every other way so it doesn't matter much

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