Lucy Fitzgerald 
Oakland’s The Goods are back with “Summer’s Almost Gone”, the first single off their upcoming record Goodbye Summertime, set to arrive September 16 on Dandy Boy Records. It’s been less than a year since the band’s debut LP, Don’t Spoil the Fun, and songwriter Rob Good already sounds like he’s working with a bigger canvas this time. He takes the jangling guitars and melodic instincts that built the project’s foundation and mixes in Beatles-tinged psychedelia, breezy folk rock, and sun-bleached indie pop. The song is built around ringing guitar lines, layered vocal harmonies, and a snare that keeps everything moving at a steady clip. There’s a lightness to the arrangement, but underneath it sits a message that hits harder the longer you sit with it: time doesn’t wait around. Good has said the idea came from a simple realization that the present is all we’re guaranteed, and that comes through in the song without ever weighing it down or making it feel heavy-handed.
Good handled most of the instrumentation himself out of his Oakland studio, bringing in longtime collaborators Cherron Arens, Yea-Ming Chen, and Ian McBrayer for key parts. That mix of solo vision and trusted contributors gives the track a personal, lived-in quality. Given his history playing in Ryli, Sob Stories, Cocktails, and Re-Volts, it’s clear Good has spent years soaking up East Bay punk energy and classic British guitar pop, and it comes together naturally here. Honestly, this is one of the more satisfying summer singles I’ve heard all year, the kind of song that manages to sound wistful and hopeful at the same time. Good has a knack for writing hooks that feel effortless without ever sounding lazy.
Do yourself a favor and follow The Goods on your streaming platform of choice so you don’t miss the rollout to Goodbye Summertime this September. Add “Summer’s Almost Gone” to your summer playlist now, because it’s the kind of song that only gets better with repeat listens, and keep an eye out for updates on the full album, tour dates, and any additional singles the band shares between now and release day. Supporting independent power pop acts like The Goods, especially on a label like Dandy Boy Records, goes a long way in helping them keep making records like this one.
Listening to songs so you don’t have to! Just kidding :D, you totally should. Music blogger by day, nurse by night
