Hold on tight.

Adam Haan

Rocker Dan Murphy must be glad he met the mellower musician Jeff Arundel.

The meeting of those two guys led to the launch of The Scarlet Goodbye and the debut CD Hope’s Eternal. It’s well known that the Twin Cities of Minnesota has a long history of producing talented musicians – Husker Du, The Replacements and The Suburbs, among others – which served up honest Midwestern brilliance yet only scratched the surface of superstardom. Then their are Prince and Bob Dylan who did become superstars.

Murphy cut his teeth in the music industry as a guitarist in Soul Asylum, another Minnesota band that flirted with fame. Later would come the revolving super group Golden Smog where Murphy is a longtime member.

Arundel, a long-time Twin Cities singer/songwriter/producer who awes fans with his reflective tunes, started releasing music in 1993.

Ben Peterson and Patrick Nelson play drums and bass respectively. Producer extraordinaire John Fields mixed the album and various other musicians contributed.

When the collaboration started, life for any music fan was almost nothing. There were no shows due to the COVID quarantine. American cities, especially the Twin Cities, were burning up with racial tensions as the result of the George Floyd incident in Minneapolis. Life sucked in 2020.

Some songs on Hope’s Eternal reflect that sentiment. There is definite despondence but there are also bright spots.

The mid tempo rocker Rosary opens the CD with with it’s catchy guitar riff and bright sounding vocals by Murphy. It is the kind of song that sticks in one’s head after the first listen.

Both Murphy and Arundel take turns on lead vocals. On songs like Panic and Blame, Paris, Surprised and Firefly, Arundel’s scratchy yet enjoyable baritone is a nice compliment to Murphy’s scratchy yet enjoyable tenor. Some of the harmonies are amazing as well, especially on The Ballad of Julie Ann and Minor Things.

Paris features Arundel and has some nice instrumental breaks, emotive vocals and a pleasing tempo change. Angel Dust is more of a mid tempo rocker with a jangle pop guitar riff and Murphy belting out the vocals with soul and energy.

There is also a great cover of Husker Du‘s Celebrated Summer.

But by far the best moments in this release are in the two song suite that ends it, Fresh New Hell and Minor Things.

Sociologists, psychologists and other -ologists will have a picnic analyzing all the complex nuances of how the pandemic has affected our collective mindset. These guys touch on the frustration and melancholy of a COVID world in a way that’s pleasing in Fresh New Hell . It ends with a spooky child’s voice. Goosebumps material.

Minor Things is the closer. The harmonies are pleasing and a violin solo by Pat Frederick is down to earth but beautiful.

I will admit that in my busy lifestyle and dwindling middle-aged energy I haven’t yet made it to one of The Scarlet Goodbye’s gigs around the Cities. I hope that will change soon. Often in the world of indie rock brilliance occurs but few people outside of that band’s area know about it.

I hope these guys keep going. There is so much talent here.