The Greg MacPherson Band
“Good Times Coming Back Again”
(G7 Welcoming Committee Records)
“Good Times Coming Back Again,” the second album from Canadian singer / songwriter Greg MacPherson, is unquestionably worthy of high praise. The urge to heap hyperbole about just how good it is (“literally, the greatest thing since sliced bread”) and to make “Good Times” jokes (Jimmie Walker says, “It’s Di-no-mite!”) is strong, but ultimately to be resisted. MacPherson, sometimes reminiscent of a less hoarse Neil Young (“Good Times”), sometimes reminiscent of Thom Yorke at a lower pitch (“Weak”), is sometimes expansive (“Slow Stroke”) and sometimes more minimalistic (“Remote Control”), but is always burning his way through the speakers. His press release mentions comparisons to Bruce Springsteen, which are fair, based on the similarity of general sound and the vague blue-collar tint of “Good Times Coming Back Again,” if not entirely accurate- MacPherson would be more suited to the coffehouse than to the sold-out stadium. It would be a mistake to close this review without mentioning the percussion work of Jason Tait, who is more MacPherson’s partner than his accompanist. His drum work is steady, but the occasional experiments with synthesizers (“Numbers”) and other electronic equipment (“$6 All Day”) really set him apart. “Good Times Coming Back Again” is just good music- go forth and seek it out.
