After years of hard work and playing out, Goli has now released their first full length debut CD. This Is Not A Love Song is an excellent document of what midi marimba player Vessela Stoyanova and cellist Valerie Thompson can achieve with their imaginative uses of their instruments, instruments one does not too often find in rock and pop combos. Ten years is a lot of time for a combo to find their sound and perfect it. The two women started out as part of Boston’s progressive rock band Fluttr Effect before finding themselves playing and singing together within this tighter two woman combo. Stoyanova can dial in a lot of different keyboard sounds from her midi marimba and Thompson can play anything from traditional cello to rock and roll low end lines on her own instruments.
Opening track “You” jaunts its way forward with assertive cello and snappy piano. Vocally, it moves with a strong personality toward more aggressive bowing and tinkling. These elements come together to make this song succeed with its forceful momentum of fine musicianship and singing. There is also an undercurrent of show tune drama in the vocal assertions and this results in a song with depth and meaningful presence.
“Nihilist Love Song” begins with some eerie, exotic cello notes before a sultry vocalist begins crooning with a cabaret style build up. The listener is lulled into the old timey world that this singer is channeling. Jenn Allen’s muted trumpet completes the old fashioned cabaret idiom while adding a sense of danger and suspense. When this piece hits its up tempo moments, the singer takes on a neurotic persona that pulls the listener in even more deeply, motivating the listener to keep up with the triggers that set her off on imagined flights of fancy.
“Jill’s” is a tune that utilizes more traditional, straight-forward cello bowing and piano tinkling. The cello is a bit moody as it pushes the song forward with a breath of exhilaration. This allows the vocalist above the cello line to reach emotional heights associated with anthems, a chorus that grabs the listener’s ears and doesn’t let go. But, the real intrigue is inside the emotions conjured by Thompson’s ominous bowing. One can feel a lot of tension inside that cello line, especially as they’re buttressed by guest violin players Abigale Reisman and Rachel Panitch who put lively, colorful attire over that cello backbone.
“Four Chord” finds the ladies of Goli exploring their rock and roll side. The lead and backing vocals are sweet, pop flavored lines that blend in well with a fierce electric guitar from Troy Kidwell and a steady backbeat from adept drummer Jason Marchionna. The stop-start rhythms here are bracing and fun and using midi marimba and electric cello to fill in the keyboard and bass guitar roles is as exciting as it’s ever been for these ladies. They create a strong rock and roll piano presence and the low end carries everything above it with plenty of sonic thrust.
“DJ Saves The World” has a fantastic organ sound, a lovely string melody, and a fetching lead vocal that carries itself with true presence and whispery sexiness. This singer’s outstanding sense of dynamics results in dramatic heights, heights that seem to come out of nowhere, making sudden gusts of assertion feel like the song shifted into overdrive.
A snappy romantic pop ditty, “Valentine’s Day” moves with a surefooted approach through jazzy, 1920s style trumpet, playful marimba high notes, and a smooth low end that ties it all together with a strong quiet presence. The lead vocalist moves with the freedom of jazz and the personality of a showgirl. This number is just a very listenable, warm batch of fun.
“Time,” a quieter ballad, lets the lead vocal breathe over solid bits of cello and piano, leading the way through this piece, a tune that looms large in the listener’s imagination because every instrument seems to have a full, wide sound. The singer is empowered by her own momentous contemplation of time and a steadiness, a purpose in her vocalizing.
“Greatest Mistake” is a bouncy number with an assortment of instrumentation around its playful, forceful groove. A wide, rangy, character rich vocal takes the listener through a myriad of cheerful instruments, giving a ringleader’s presence to brisk energies circling around her. This tune may have been inspired by circus music and vaudeville idioms yet those elements are used in an original way that makes them feel fresh, vigorous, and alive.
A lively pop song, “Alone” bops its way forward with snappy piano, jaunty cello, and an infectious drum track. After this chugging momentum lulls the listener into its witty lyrical appeal, the song glides into a string section powered chorus that fills the soundscape with a perfectly sweet tuft of sound.
“Mystery To Me” offers a little bit of everything. It has soft as raindrops midi marimba notes, tasteful drum work, and a fun, pop rock lift from the low end. Vocally, the tune lilts beautifully through its large peaks and sudden valleys. It’s unusual chorus “remember my body, kindly” is playful and catchy and certain to peak and maintain interest in this quirky original.
The two ladies of Goli close out their CD with “So, Perfect,” a tune floating by with subtle cello bowing techniques creating a moody backdrop and a playful midi marimba melody that tickles the ear with gentle persistence. The voice, too, here has a gentle presence yet looms large with its range and rich timbre. It leaves one feeling like they’ve been said goodbye to in a bittersweet, meaningful way.
Goli is onto something special here. With a lot of help from other players and Producer Peter Moore at Malden’s Palace Of Purpose studio, these two ladies have crafted and recorded songs that are not only delights to the ear but completely different from what anybody else is playing. Bold, original, and well executed, This Is Not A Love Song is a must have CD for Boston’s musical taste monger’s and culture vultures.
