Good Bad Not Evil
Good Bad Not Evil lets Black Lips sound clearer without removing the unrest from their music. Guitars still feel cheap and dirty, drums keep things simple, and the singing shows little interest in tidiness. Yet this offers more than rough rock. Its melodies are strong enough to remain clear among the frayed edges.
Jared Swilley's bass contributes considerably. It sits firmly in the mix and regularly carries the melodic movement. Guitars consequently have room to scrape above it. That gives songs a recognisable foundation even when the singing sounds ready to leave the road. The band can preserve their disorderly character without letting the arrangements disappear completely.
Bad Kids keeps things particularly direct. A bouncing rhythm and singalong voices make it simple but effective. Veni Vidi Vici also preserves a playful side. The band need no complicated development to establish a good melody and recognisable mood. Their directness helps the songs communicate before the roughness becomes a barrier.
Cold Hands uses twangy guitar and a surf-like solo to give its momentum further colour. Transcendental Light reveals a gentler, bluesier side. That difference matters: the record does not rely on the same hard movement throughout. Black Lips can ease back without immediately losing their character. Variety comes naturally within the band's familiar approach.
Not everything sounds new, and shifts between styles can initially feel untidy. Rough voices will not convince everyone either. The appeal lies in how the band claim familiar forms. Beneath the careless surface sit good songs that require little explanation. Good Bad Not Evil is cheerful, occasionally dark and almost always lively. The musicians sound free enough to enjoy themselves while maintaining more control than their first impression suggests.
