Adam Goldberg is well-known for his acting, portraying memorable roles on big and small screens alike. But his talents don’t end here; he’s also an accomplished musician. Through his musical alter ego The Goldberg Sisters, he has spent the past several years crafting his sound. Now, with the recent release Home: A Nice Place to Visit, Goldberg is proving that his music deserves just as much acclaim as his acting.
He’s created a pleasantly dreamy sound, one that combines the best of ’60s psychedelic and ’90s indie rock and shines them through a modern, poppy lens. The mix channels the vastness of Goldberg’s creative impulses, providing him with an outlet to explore whatever ideas come to mind by manipulating textures and sounds.
The blend is uniquely his own, but what’s even more impressive is that Goldberg did nearly all of the instrumentation himself. Save for violins and trumpet, every sound you hear on the record was produced by Goldberg himself.
As a result, The Goldberg Sisters’ most recent album is warmly and immersively personal.
Home: A Nice Place to Visit is a Glimpse into The Goldberg Sisters’ Mind
For this new record, The Goldberg Sisters’ mastermind had to truly let himself go and let his creativity flow. As a result, Home: A Nice Place to Visit is honestly and uniquely Goldberg’s.
“I think I needed to step away from it for a bit to regain some perspective on it, which is always weird because now it’s truly like listening to somebody else,” Goldberg explained. “It’s not so much that I want to make music — I feel I have to, as if I have no choice.”
Whether they were voluntary or not, Goldberg’s musical efforts have resulted in a record that was meticulously crafted to be outright pleasing to the ear.
One of the leading singles of the record was “When or Where or Why,” a catchy tune deeply rooted in its steady beat.
With many different instrumental lines working together in complex layers, the drum beat is a constant and reliable reminder of home. Goldberg’s voice washes over languid melodies, though much of the song is instrumentally driven.
It’s followed by “The Kids Are Alwrong,” a standout of the record, with its retro vibe and landmark riff, this song is downright catchy.
Goldberg combines a lo-fi vocal production quality with complex backbeats and multiple melodic lines, creating a collage effect. Eventually, everything comes together, with guitars, synth, trumpets, and voice all in unison. The song has a clear eclectic mix of influences, and it’s the perfect example of the blended style that The Goldberg Sisters offer.
The record ends with “My Boy Bud,” which begins so upbeat and playful that it almost feels parodic.
This proves true, as the song soon transitions into a sonically darker section with a deeper groove. But this is over as quickly as it began — back to the carefree nature of the song’s beginning.
In its nearly six and a half minute duration, “My Boy Bud” travels through an array of different moods, styles, and tempos. Instead of blending all of his ideas into one complexly layered mix, Goldberg separates each into its own section. It’s a different take on his pastiche tendencies, serving as an oddly intriguing closer to the lengthy album.
By the end of HOME: A Nice Place to Visit, The Goldberg Sisters have taken you on a journey. From instrumental interludes to retro vibes and more, this record takes a little bit of everything and molds it into a dreamy, psych pop blend. It’s a true glimpse into Adam Goldberg’s creative mind, one that might just inspire a bit of your own musical introspection.
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