They are the Good Old War

November 21, 4:41 PMPhiladelphia Music ExaminerDaniel Horne

In a world of music where the radio stations are clogged with candy pop and lip synchers are selling out concerts nationwide, there lies a band of three who have nothing to do with any of that. Keith Goodwin and Tim Arnold (of Days Away fame) along with friend Dan Schwartz (of Unlikely Cowboy fame) team up to become the three part folksy harmonic genius called Good Old War. The local boys from Good Old War who call Philadelphia home have their debut album entitled “Only Way to be Alone” out now. After forming in early 2008, the guys have been off playing shows from coast to coast to help promote their album as well as play as Anthony Green’s (Circa Survive) backing band for his solo record “Avalon”.

During the way Keith and the boys have played small venues such as Siren Records in Doylestown and they were also invited to play in the very popular annual “Bamboozle” music festival in East Rutherford, New Jersey which has seen the likes of; My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park, Fall Out Boy, and so on over the years.

For those who may be unaware the name Good Old War comes from parts of each band member’s last name. Keith (Good) win, Tim Arn (old), and Dan Sch (war) tz. Also the name good old war signifies the battle that is making it big in the music industry. The guys started their new gig with a small following of fans that knew the boys from their previous bands. As time has continued the crowds at shows have gotten larger and larger and the support has grown immensely, their video for “Coney Island” was voted in by fans on the MTV-U website and the video saw some playtime on a big network.

“Only Way to be Alone” is a great album with a bunch of catchy songs, but the thing that makes this album work on many fronts is how laid back it is. In today’s standards we are used to loud rifts and crashing noise, this isn’t the case here. The boy’s recorded the album just like they would play a regular live show, no major tweaking done to their sound at all. Their live shows and their album sound almost identical and that is a testament to how good this band really is.

Their live shows are simply catchy. The Mic work of Keith has been a strong asset dating back to his electric days in Days Away but now so more than ever his voice really gets to shine without the noise of electric guitars in his way. Dan’s guitar work is well put together and his expertise and versatility really show on this record along with the live shows. Speaking of being versatile that brings us to drummer Tim Arnold who is the definition of the word. While Good Old War is an acoustic band that doesn't’t mean there is no room for a very qualified drummer. Tim is able to keep the percussion sound tight and he really makes it gel with the other two components of the band. Whether it is the electric sound of Days Away or the laid back folksy Good Old War, Tim is able to be successful and sound great either way.

The track “We’ve Come a Long Way” is one that stands out in my mind. As it may have many meanings, there seems to be a connection between the band and its true fans that date back to the days of Days Away and Unlikely Cowboy. While it may have taken a while for the boys to end up here they make it clear that there is still much more work to be done in the future. Before opening their shows and also after their sets the guys from Good Old War are very approachable and are really genuine guys who care about the music and their fans. The growing popularity of the hometown band has brought a lot of joy to its friends and fans and it really couldn't’t have happened to a nicer bunch of guys.

Make sure you take the time to check the guys out; you can purchase their album online or check it out at indie music stores and iTunes. Also the band has announced a few more show dates so here they are and don’t miss out.