Goodwin: album better than good

Once again - and coincidentally - the leap year brings the arrival of a new cd from an unsigned band in the Dallas-Fort Worth area called Goodwin.

Goodwin's sophomore album, 2, will be released on Feb. 29 at Ridglea Theatre in Dallas. Goodwin, simply put, is straight-up rock 'n' roll. There are no gimmicks and no experimentation from this band. As cliched as it sounds, they just want to have fun.

Goodwin isn't made up of the typical 20-somethings working minimum-wage jobs waiting for that moment they'll get signed. They're actually much older, more experienced musicians, with families, that work 9 to 5s. With so much going on, fun is all they have time for.

Like their first album, Goodwin, this follow-up album grabs your attention with the head-bobbing, fist-pumping opener "Revelation of Revolution." Vocalist Tony Diaz's delivery of the first line of the song announces their return, while guitarist Daniel Gomez introduce the listener to the high-compressed energy that is waiting to be released into your ears.

My favorite song of the album is the fourth track, "Grace." Every time I played the CD and heard the beginning drum beat, my foot started tapping and my mood lifted.

With the current rock music scene full of avant-garde experimentation and exclusivity, it's refreshing to hear a band that just wants to create music anyone can enjoy, not just an elite few.

This album is like the soundtrack to a John Hughes (Sixteen Candles) movie. Every song, from the guitar-driven "Write for You" to the closing song, "Trading Up," could easily fit into the final scene where the paint-covered, overalls-wearing loner girl finally blossoms into the beautiful girl that gets the guy of her dreams, but without a synthesizer and with better hair.

The album will be available through Sweet Tea after the release show on Feb. 29. Keep an eye on the band at www.myspace.com/meetgoodwin to see where to pick up a copy.

If this is your first time reading about this band, don't expect it to be your last.