Review: Candlebox ‘The Long Goodbye’
By Mike O’Cull
Multi-platinum alt-rock outfit Candlebox closes out their 30-year career in an amazing way on their final album The Long Goodbye.
The album drops August 25th, 2023 on Round Hill Records and was produced by Don Miggs. It’s meant to be a ten-song love letter/goodbye note to the millions of Candlebox fans out there, which is certainly a noble gesture, but the music on it hits hard and makes an impact like a band that still has a youthful chip on its collective shoulder. The songs deal head-on with themes like maturity, fleeting time, and lasting love in deep and meaningful ways using a powerful, rock and roll manner that will breach your defenses and reach your spirit.
Candlebox is Kevin Martin (lead vocals), Adam Kury (bass), Brian Quinn (guitar), Island Styles (guitar), BJ Kerwin (drums). The group exploded out of Seattle’s mid-90s grunge scene and hit the mainstream in a hurry. They had major hits in tracks like “Far Behind,” “You,” and “Cover Me” that propelled their self-titled debut album, a defining record of those times, to sell more than four million copies around the world. Their sophomore album, Lucy, earned another platinum certification and established Candlebox as an important player in the thriving alt-rock scene. They also built a reputation for the kind of raw, uncompromising performances that it takes to attain true rockstar status. They’re a timeless band that will never be forgotten.
So why quit now?
“30 years is a long time for a band but it’s also a long time for a person. Being away from my family as much as I have been, on the road and in the studio, it made me feel that I had missed way too much,” singer Kevin Martin says. “So, with the 30th anniversary of Candlebox’s debut album this year, I knew it was the right time to go out on top.”
Final record or not, The Long Goodbye is a strong and satisfying album that shows Candlebox as so much more than just another one-trick pony. The opening track, “Punks,” uses acoustic and electric guitars to announce itself and rocks with bare-knuckle authority. The lyrics are a warning to upcoming bands that they won’t be top dogs forever. “We’re the punks, we’re the same ones that you fear/We paved these streets, that’s why you’re here,” Martin sings. “This ain’t your last dance, this ain’t your last chance/It’s already gone.”
“What Do You Need” is even heavier and serves up a primal scream of independence. Nick Brown of the alt-rock band Mona co-wrote the song with Martin and also appears on it. It’s a hard-edged cut with a solid, mid-speed beat that has a whole lot of steam behind it. The drums are big, the guitars are even bigger, and the vocals fly high.
The conceptually weighty “Ugly” is openly critical of the way people treat each other in today’s world. Over what first almost sounds like a Cure song, Candlebox builds tension slowly until it peaks out in the chorus. “Ugly people do ugly things/Pretty people do the same thing,” sings Martin, calling out the bad actors and social dividers who often seem to be everywhere. The band does a great job using textures here and each guitar overdub has a clear purpose. It’s a slick, sophisticated tune that will linger in your mind.
“Punks”
Trippy and relevant, “Cellphone Jesus” uses a psychedelic approach that mixes a 70s pop influence with an atmospheric chorus and shape-shifting middle that will glue you to the ceiling. Candlebox creates music like this fearlessly and sets it right alongside their hard rock material and demands we accept all of it. That, friends, is artistry.
The Long Goodbye is loaded with great songs. A list of highlights would need to include “Elegante,” “Maze,” and “Foxy.” Candlebox takes us through their final journey and ensures that we’ll mourn their absence from the scene. Call it the sound of a career well-lived. Fine work.
Candlebox Tour Dates Here
Pre-order The Long Goodbye Here
Pretty dang good …. Rock on guys :)