Kenny Becker’s breakup album
The cover of Goon’s third full-length album is a mismatch of colors, objects, and personality. Kenny Becker, Goon’s leader and songwriter, created the artwork, and the songs were crafted with the same scattered intensity. Instead of recording the album in the traditional sense, it was put together piece by piece over a long period with band members and guest musicians. “I feel like I sort of Brian Wilson-ed this one a bit,” Becker told Chip Midnight for The Big Takeover, “where I would call people in as I needed them, but mostly tried to keep it to a certain group of musicians, trusted good friends.”
Goon started out as a solo project for Becker in 2016. With albums, EPs, and several music videos, Goon has developed into a world-touring band. On Dream 3, the band plays to its strengths on “Patsy’s Twin.” Harmony vocals lead the opening as the music builds to thundering guitars and Becker shouting the lyrics. Even better is “This Morning Six Rabbits Were Born,” which is more in line with the pretty melodies Becker prefers. The mix of instruments on these tracks are examples of how the band built the sound from the bottom-up. “The songs took shape intuitively in the studio,” noted Andy Downing in Matter News, “as the musicians experimented with the myriad tools available to them.”
As work started on the album, Becker’s marriage unraveled. Most songs were written before the split, but the emotional anguish still comes through in the music. “I began this record so excited,” Becker told Northern Transmissions. “The songwriting was less scripted, letting me loosen up the reins a little and follow whatever idea seemed most interesting. It started off as a really joyful recording process. Then came the most devastating time of my life.” The mournful lyrics for “Apple Patch” came after the separation, and on “Begin Here,” Becker finds solace for his despair in a bandmate. “It really became a breakup record, which I totally did not intend, but it turned into this vehicle for grief and agony,” Becker told Downing. “And I’m pretty proud of the degree I was able to be honest about my pain.”
Dream 3 is soft and heavy. Biting and melodic. Still, there’s a great deal of beauty in the sadness and heartbreak.