Houndmouth’s Good For You is for wandering souls running from past mistakes. It’s for those who have fabricated a myriad of lies so inept around their lives, that it’s incomprehensible to separate from true and false. It’s for those who want to escape from a cataclysmic reality, having nowhere to turn but their inner selves. It’s the start of a new year and a new semester, and everyone’s running from that something, but Houndmouth changes the narrative to seem as if you’re willfully reaching for that higher something. Band members Matt Myers, Shane Cody, and Caleb Hickman take listeners on a fantastical journey, holding our hands, telling us that they see these visions as well.
The album opener, “Good For You,” takes a more languid approach to this album, as Myers croons words of desperation and reminiscence into his microphone. Houndmouth has a reputation of peppering their usual stomp-and-holler albums with little tunes sung in hushed voices. It adds a sense of whole roundedness to their artistry, reminding the listener that there’s something deeper hidden within the band. The chorus repeats a very melancholy, “Goodbye old Kentucky, don’t fly where you can’t be found / here’s to all that money, you can’t take to the underground”. These lyrics cause me to reminisce over something I, myself, can only dream to experience. While the overarching theme of this album alludes to escapism, the title track causes listeners to lament over past memories.
The track then leads way into the more upbeat track, “Miracle Mile.” Houndmouth pays homage to pluralist mythology and lore, personifying that need to get away under figures and places such as “Sweet Dionysus”, “Mister Arkansas”, “Sweet Mary Queen”, and “Dixieland Machine”. Calling upon mythological greats such as Dionysus, a known drunkard in the most crude sense, once more, draws attention to the allusion of self-funded fanaticism.
In their next song, “Make it to Midnight,” Myers sings about staying diligent with past connections – you never know who you can trust. The lyrics, “Be careful out in the shadows/‘Cause the phantom moves in the night” can be attributed to a variety of conflicts. Inner in the sense of self-doubt, past souls scorned, or even the law (this is a very big brother-esque scenario). Houndmouth continues this cycle of recollections over the next few tracks, “McKenzie,” “Cool Jam,” and “Jackson.”
The melody and musings pick up pace in “Jackson,” as the band now sings about finding that promised solace in their journey towards self-sufficiency. Myers sings, “All while we wait for the midnight hour/one more night in Jackson / One more kiss right now”. Houndmouth emphasizes the importance of the metaphorical voyage, offering listeners insight to the knowledge gained from their own experiences. It’s a cliche but coined expression to say that the real journey was the friends made along the way. After having been showered in stardust as mentioned in the song, it’s understood to make well needed pauses in this metaphorical adventure.
Similarly in “Goodbye” and “Ride or Die,” the album seems to reach a climax as Myer’s voice is distinct in admitting to personal and societal shortcomings. Houndmouth takes this opportunity to bare their full face, admitting to listeners that nothing is set in stone, especially bonds with other people, but it’s important to keep hanging on. The lyrics, “We’re going nowhere / And how many nights must we spend here/Without you hanging around?” display that pain is inevitable, no matter how hard you run from it.
In the next track, “Ohio,” Houndmouth comes to terms with the past they left behind. They sing about preserving their, “Ohio / Same old lies / Still reminds you of a place you used to know”. You have to confront your fears and mistakes at some point, even if you’re fleeing it for that higher something.
Houndmouth wraps up this album with their song, “Las Vegas,” having finally reached their promised land. The song itself is quite upbeat, crescendoing into joyful whoops and colorful guitar riffs as they sing about making something of themselves. “It’s so real it’s dangerous / So real it could save us” is a verse repeated throughout the song, as they’ve reached solace. They sing about making new promises and successes, ending the album on a higher note than how it started.
If there’s one thing that Good For You by Houndmouth does, it will help you come to terms with your escapade. Everyone needs a little company, even in the darkest of times, so let Houndmouth be that hand on your shoulder. They’re more than willing.
