Bruce Springsteen once said in an interview that music was his way of keeping people from looking through him and around him–it was his way of making people see him. This desire to share an creative sincerity is called earnestness, and as a musician it is a fine line to be walking. Incredible amounts of poor music has been made to validate poorly enunciated emotional outpouring. Sincerity cannot be faked, and when it is forced musically, the sound is immediately evident.

Knowing this, the music being made by Goodbyehome is altogether remarkable. They have chosen a country influenced rock sound, territory well staked by groups like My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses. Goodbyehome strikes even closer than they to the root vein of bluegrass, evoking a feel of americana without straying into pastiche. Frontman Greg Combs has a voice soft on approach, but with enough gravel to send out some good howl, and the group pulls off some very family band harmonies to cultivate a warm and rich sound that plays well with their use of traditional instruments.

Goodbyehome borrows from the authenticity of their American folk influence to tell good news-bad news sort of stories that seem to come straight out of every small town that ever had stories to tell. It means that when Combs sings, “high above the steeples/underneath the bars/there’s highways leading rapid to the coastal city stars/and the groomsmen’s jackets glisten/with their medals from the war/while the bride lays in her bedroom with her dress upon the floor/she says oh, even I need a miracle sometime,” the lyrics come out earnest. From the instruments of a band trying to replicate an honest, southern sound Combs’ lines would come out contrived–Goodbyehome puts the whole picture in  your head, and makes the whole scene feel right, wrapped around their strings and harmonies.

Alt-Country seems too boxy a label to place on Goodbyehome. They play songs earnestly, carving out what feels like a new niche of nostalgia–harnessing the traditional and familiar to tell new American tales, like driving covered wagons through lit city streets.

Goodbyehome put out a new LP on March 27th called Troubles, and its available on Itunes. They’re also playing an acoustic set this Friday, April 9th at Fearon’s Public House at 8pm and another city show on June 6th at the Double Door at 8pm.

-Jordan