Goon (album)
{{about|the Tobias Jesso Jr. album|the Global Goon album|Global Goon}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Goon
| type = Album
| artist = Tobias Jesso Jr.
| cover = Tobias Jesso Goon.jpg
| alt =
| released = March 17, 2015
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = {{hlist|Indie rock|baroque pop|
folk rock}}
| length = 46:33
| label = True Panther Sounds
| producer = Chet "JR" White, Ariel Rechtshaid, Patrick Carney, John Collins
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Goon
| type = studio
| single1 = Hollywood
| single1date = November 17, 2014
| single2 = How Could You Babe
| single2date = January 20, 2015
}}
}}
Goon is the debut studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. released on March 17, 2015 in the United States and Canada. The album was preceded by the two singles "How Could You Babe" and "Hollywood".
The album was a short-listed nominee for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize.[http://polarismusicprize.ca/blog/2015-polaris-music-prize-short-list/ 2015 Polaris Music Prize Short List Is Here – Polaris Music Prize]
Musical style
Jesso's music has been compared to singer/songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s from Randy Newman to Harry Nilsson and Emitt Rhodes. Even though he was a bassist and guitarist for years, his new music was written by him on the piano—an instrument he started playing at the age of 27.
Reception
{{Album ratings
| MC = 81/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/goon/tobias-jesso-jr |title=Reviews for Goon by Tobias Jesso Jr. |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=June 27, 2015}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/goon-mw0002817589 |title=Goon – Tobias Jesso, Jr. |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=June 27, 2015 |last=Donelson |first=Marcy}}
| rev2 = The A.V. Club
|rev2score = B+{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/review/amid-heartbreak-tobias-jesso-jr-breaks-down-confin-216370 |title=Amid heartbreak, Tobias Jesso Jr. breaks down the confines of pop |work=The A.V. Club |date=March 17, 2015 |access-date=October 31, 2018 |last=Phillips |first=Lior}}
| rev3 = The Daily Telegraph
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/11463875/Tobias-Jesso-Jr-Goon-review-a-little-beauty.html |title=Tobias Jesso Jr, Goon, review: 'a little beauty' |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=March 14, 2015 |access-date=October 31, 2018 |last=McCormick |first=Neil |author-link=Neil McCormick}}
| rev4 = The Guardian
| rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/mar/12/tobias-jesso-jr-goon-review |title=Tobias Jesso Jr: Goon review – wilfully retro songs in the prevailing 70s style |work=The Guardian |date=March 12, 2015 |access-date=June 27, 2015 |last=Petridis |first=Alexis |author-link=Alexis Petridis}}
| rev5 = Mojo
| rev5score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Tobias Jesso Jr.: Goon |journal=Mojo |issue=257 |date=April 2015 |page=87}}
| rev6 = NME
| rev6score = 8/10{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/tobias-jesso-jr/15957 |title=Tobias Jesso Jr. – 'Goon' |work=NME |date=March 2, 2015 |access-date=October 31, 2018 |last=Homewood |first=Ben |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150304043525/http://www.nme.com/reviews/tobias-jesso-jr/15957 |archive-date=March 4, 2015}}
| rev7 = Pitchfork
| rev7score = 8.5/10{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20153-goon/ |title=Tobias Jesso Jr.: Goon |work=Pitchfork |date=March 16, 2015 |access-date=June 27, 2015 |last=Richardson |first=Mark}}
| rev8 = Q
| rev8score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Tobias Jesso Jr.: Goon |journal=Q |issue=345 |date=April 2015 |last=Catchpole |first=Chris |page=103}}
| rev9 = Rolling Stone
| rev9score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/tobias-jesso-jr-goon-20150317 |title=Goon |work=Rolling Stone |date=March 17, 2015 |access-date=June 27, 2015 |last=Hermes |first=Will |author-link=Will Hermes}}
| rev10 = Spin
| rev10score = 6/10{{cite web |url=https://www.spin.com/2015/03/tobias-jesso-jr-goon/ |title=Review: Tobias Jesso Jr. Falls Short of Nilsson and Newman on 'Goon' |work=Spin |date=March 20, 2015 |access-date=October 31, 2018 |last=Shoup |first=Brad}}
}}
Goon received universal acclaim from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 81, based on 25 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".
Will Hermes of Rolling Stone noted "his debut LP gathers 12 beautifully lean ballads sung in a vulnerable tenor, with vintage studio touches blended by sharp producers including JR White, Patrick Carney and Ariel Rechtshaid."
=Accolades=
| class="sortable wikitable" |
| Publication
! Accolade ! Year ! Rank |
|---|
| Paste
| 50 Best Albums of 2015 | 2015 |
| Pitchfork
| The 50 Best Albums of 2015 | 2015 | {{center|46{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9764-the-50-best-albums-of-2015/1/|title=The 50 Best Albums of 2015 |work=Pitchfork| publisher= |date=December 16, 2015 |access-date=December 16, 2015}}}} |
| Rough Trade
| Albums of the Year 2015 | 2015 |
| Time Out
| Best Albums of 2015 | 2015 |
Track listing
{{track listing
| total_length = 46:33
| title1 = Can't Stop Thinking About You
| length1 = 3:53
| title2 = How Could You Babe
| length2 = 3:52
| title3 = Without You
| length3 = 5:09
| title4 = Can We Still Be Friends
| length4 = 3:23
| title5 = The Wait
| length5 = 2:14
| title6 = Hollywood
| length6 = 6:08
| title7 = For You
| length7 = 3:08
| title8 = Crocodile Tears
| length8 = 2:22
| title9 = Bad Words
| length9 = 4:28
| title10 = Just a Dream
| length10 = 4:45
| title11 = Leaving LA
| length11 = 4:24
| title12 = Tell the Truth
| length12 = 2:47
}}
Personnel
- Tobias Jesso Jr. – vocals, piano, guitar, bass
- Danielle Haim – drums on track 3
- Chet "JR" White – production
- Ariel Rechtshaid – production on track 1
- Patrick Carney – production
- John Collins – production
- Chris Coady – mixing