British trio
GoGo Penguin
recorded
Everything Is Going to Be OK
during an emotionally heavy period of tragedy and loss. Bassist
Nick Blacka
's mother and brother both died of cancer within months of each other, and pianist
Chris Illingworth
mourned the death of his grandmother. Additionally, drummer
Rob Turner
announced his departure from the group near the end of 2021. Joined by new drummer
Jon Scott
, the bandmembers wrote and played music together as a form of escape, and as a way to heal. The music retains the familiar sound they've been honing since their formation, featuring circular melodies and sophisticated drumming inspired by electronic dance music, but performed by a primarily acoustic jazz trio formation. However, there's unmistakably a more melancholic, bittersweet feel to these songs. The piano melodies of the delicate, tricky "Glimmerings" send shivers down the spine, and the intricate, gliding basslines of "Saturnine" are similarly haunting, yet the group's music is enticing rather than foreboding. While the album has tense, moody moments like the slowly drifting "Friday Film Special," "Glow" is more playful, coming closer to a sort of live band IDM, with complex drumming and chiming, resonant melodies. "Soon Comes Night" is a panoramic crawl with distorted drums and heavy dub-like effects constantly toppling downwards. "We May Not Stay" reflects on mortality, starting out calmly before quickly erupting into a flurry of cascading pianos and skittering drums, then coming to an abrupt halt at the end. The album's gorgeous, blossoming title track and both versions of the brief but shining "You're Stronger Than You Think" demonstrate how they've maintained hope and positivity throughout these trying times. While working through the process of grief and healing,
have created some of their most comforting and optimistic music. ~ Paul Simpson