Goon
by Tobias Jesso Jr.
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
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  1. NOW Magazine
    Mar 18, 2015
    100
    Goon is an indisputable triumph and a staggering opening statement from pop music's newest Piano Man.
  2. Consequence
    Mar 6, 2015
    91
    Goon vocalizes a timelessness through the mouth of a man playing simply to start over, earnest as he’ll ever be--and getting to hear it from inside the practice room, not outside the door, makes all the difference.
  3. Paste Magazine
    Mar 17, 2015
    90
    What Jesso has delivered is a record that needs no context, that can exist outside of time and place. Jesso, in short, has crafted a masterpiece, with the only connection of real significance being between him and his audience.
  5. Austin Chronicle
    Apr 23, 2015
    89
    Like his piano chops, his lyrics are no-frills expressions, ripe and ready to be groomed into something even bigger.
  6. Pitchfork
    Mar 16, 2015
    85
    Goon isn’t an album of layers; what you hear is what you get, which in this case turns out to be something special.
  7. The A.V. Club
    Mar 17, 2015
    83
    While the narrative is compelling, this is a sound-first record, with each lyric fostering the fundamental ideals Jesso has for his music.
  8. Mojo
    Mar 19, 2015
    80
    It's lovely stuff throughout. [Apr 2015, p.87]
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  9. The Telegraph (UK)
    Mar 16, 2015
    80
    Comparisons with Nilsson and early solo McCartney are high praise, but at his softer side it all threatens to go a bit Gilbert O’Sullivan. Yet this is a lovely debut and its innocence is a big part of its charm.
  10. DIY Magazine
    Mar 16, 2015
    80
    Goon is gluttonously full of rich sounds, but it’s the running thread that counts: That voice, and its ability to sing about experiences like they’re universal stories, not a means of self-indulgence.
  11. The Observer (UK)
    Mar 16, 2015
    80
    Ultimately, Goon is a very good album, one further elevated by its terrific tale of redemption. Here, victory is belatedly extracted from the digestive tract of defeat.
  12. Exclaim
    Mar 13, 2015
    80
    The end result is a pretty extraordinary album, but what makes Goon really special is the future it hints at.
  13. The Line of Best Fit
    Mar 13, 2015
    80
    Some of the exhaustion on Goon is a lack of emotional range. The continued packaging and shrinking of love and misery for commercial consumption, something Jesso Jr. doesn't do cynically, but he does it so well and so often.
  14. Under The Radar
    Mar 13, 2015
    80
    Sometimes the album suffers a bit from how cohesive the themes (and some of the music) are, making it hard to pick one song out from another, but it's a minor complaint. Plus, there's something refreshing about how guileless these songs are.
  15. Uncut
    Mar 5, 2015
    80
    It takes some skill to make these sentimental songs sound this effortless. [Apr 2015, p.77]
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  16. New Musical Express (NME)
    Mar 5, 2015
    80
    There are cheesy moments--Jesso pretends to cry on 'Crocodile Tears', and 'Can't Stop Thinking About You' mimics the theme from US sitcom Cheers--but the compelling fragility of his demos remains. Because of that, Goon is a triumph.
  17. Q Magazine
    Mar 5, 2015
    80
    Jesso's winsome melodies and gorgeous chord changes never fail to hit the spot. [Apr 2015, p.103]
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  18. The 405
    Mar 5, 2015
    80
    His debut album experiments with intense sincerity and captivating subtleties in the lyrics and melodies respectively.
  19. Pretty Much Amazing
    Mar 17, 2015
    75
    Jesso doesn’t have a perfect voice, but his flaws are less derailments and more idiosyncrasies. These pockmarks, along with strong and engaging composition, are what give personality to a record that could been another bland adult contemporary release destined for the sale bin.
  20. Sputnikmusic
    Mar 11, 2015
    74
    Goon surpasses any suggestion of mediocrity by a significant margin.
  21. AllMusic
    Mar 23, 2015
    70
    There's not much one can do to deny the emotional weight or the eerily '70s character of Goon; it's probably best to settle into the La-Z-Boy, flick feathered hair off of your polyester lapel, grab a box of tissues, and let it be.
  22. Rolling Stone
    Mar 17, 2015
    70
    His debut LP gathers 12 beautifully lean ballads sung in a vulnerable tenor, with vintage studio touches blended by sharp producers.
  23. Clash Music
    Mar 16, 2015
    70
    Goon is not perfect, but it's the imperfections and the straight honesty that bleeds through it that make it so appealing.
  24. PopMatters
    Mar 26, 2015
    60
    Goon isn’t great, at least in terms of its ambitions, but it is a fine example of what might evolve from pure pop purpose.
  25. Spin
    Mar 20, 2015
    60
    The majority of cuts on Goon still feel like demos: languidly spaced chords, carefully measured arpeggiation, and hardly anything so gauche as a groove. The twinkle, such as it is, comes from the vocal.
  26. The Guardian
    Mar 12, 2015
    60
    A succession of producers--including Ariel Rechtshaid, Patrick Carney of the Black Keys and Jesso’s chief collaborator, former Girls bassist Chet “JR” White--have smoothed the fragility and murk of Jesso’s demos into a 70s-inspired production that accentuates the similarities between his songs and those of various vintage songwriters.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 42 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 42
  3. Negative: 1 out of 42
  1. coltylocks
    Mar 18, 2015
    9
    An album that is not demanding of the listener, however,is not watered down. Jesso has a McCartney like ear for infectious melodies thatAn album that is not demanding of the listener, however,is not watered down. Jesso has a McCartney like ear for infectious melodies that deliver messages which are not mentally taxing to understand. Jesso dlievers his lyrics simply without too many cringe-worthy. Do to its accessibility for a wide range of listeners expect this album to make many year end lists. Jesso isnt reinventing the wheel, he is just doing something that is over done, but doing it better than anyone else is the recent past… Full Review »
  2. All_ButTrU4
    Nov 22, 2021
    7
    An album that is not demanding of the listener, however,is not watered down. Jesso has a McCartney like ear for infectious melodies thatAn album that is not demanding of the listener, however,is not watered down. Jesso has a McCartney like ear for infectious melodies that deliver messages which are not mentally taxing to understand. Jesso dlievers his lyrics simply without too many cringe-worthy. Do to its accessibility for a wide range of listeners expect this album to make many year end lists. Jesso isnt reinventing the wheel, he is just doing something that is over done, but doing it better than anyone else is the recent past.

    a gorgeous, soulful, and earnest little album. Sure, the influences are as naked as they come. Some Elton here. Some McCartney there. Regardless, the songwriting and performances are far too winning to be overshadowed by who this sounds like.

    Jesso packs it with McCartney-like songs, containing infectious melodies and haunting progressions that seem like a Beatles-Elton John amalgamation of epic proportions. It's not a game-changer but no doubt this will put Jesso on the map.    … Full Review »
  3. tannerparsons
    Mar 13, 2017
    9
    A stellar album coming from a young man who originally didn't even want to sing his own songs. I hope he continues to do just that. LookingA stellar album coming from a young man who originally didn't even want to sing his own songs. I hope he continues to do just that. Looking forward to his next release to see if he experiments with new instrumentation.… Full Review »
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