Henry Lipput is back with us to review the latest effort by Louise Goffin, who comes from some very strong songwriting stock.
Take it, Henry.
Louise Goffin, Songs From The Mine
By Henry Lipput
In July, California via Brooklyn singer-songwriter, Louise Goffin, released the terrific Songs From The Mine. Goffin and her co-writers have put together an album of pure pop pleasure.
You may not have heard of Louise Goffin, but I’m sure you’ve heard of her parents. Her mom is Carole King, and her father was the late Gerry Goffin. As the songwriting team of Goffin and King in the Brill Building-era of the late 50s and early 60s, her parents wrote great songs for girl groups and male vocal groups. They wrote “Up On The Roof,” “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” “(You Make Me Feel Like ) A Natural Woman,” “The Loco-motion,” and “Chains.” That last song was part of The Beatles’ live set, and they recorded it on their first album, Please Please Me. In fact, Goffin and King had such a big influence on Lennon and McCartney that when the fab duo from Liverpool started writing songs, their dream was to be as good as Louise’s parents.
I became aware of Louise Goffin when I discovered her 2002 album Sometimes A Circle. The disc was a small, sweet record with wonderful melodies and grownup pop lyrics. With quiet vocals on many of the songs she seemed almost to be whispering to a friend.
On her new album, Songs From The Mine, Goffin sounds more assertive and assured; but on “Everybody But You” and “Get With The World,” she still sounds as if she’s talking to a friend. In the first song she’s showing support, and in the second song she’s telling someone to shape up.
Songs From The Mine is full of ballads, up-tempo numbers, and, with “We Belong Together,” she’s got a song that Jagger and Richards wished they had written. A few of her songs, especially “Main Street Parade” and “Here Where You Are Loved,” remind me of songs by David Mead (one of my favorites and a greatly under-appreciated singer and songwriter) -- and not just the ukulele she plays on “Main Street Parade.”
It’s clear that Louise Goffin has inherited the songwriting genes of her talented parents, and she has put them to very good use on Songs From The Mine.
Songs From The Mine is out now on Goffin's Majority of One Records.
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