On Friday, April 19th, indie singer-songwriter Goodman released his latest single, “Only Testimony”. After six full-length albums and more than a few EPs besides, Goodman’s latest song is a strong entry in his repertoire. Its reliability as a solid single lies within its relatability. How so? Read on, and you will hear for yourself.
At the surface level, “Only Testimony” feels fairly straightforward. This song seems to detail the end of a relationship by way of a messy argument. But there’s more to this song than mere angst or brooding. “Only Testimony” is a testament to courage amid the dissolution of footing that was once considered rock-solid.
There’s something that is remarkably haunting about this single. It feels very Elliot Smith, in ways, and that’s truly lovely in a darkly poignant sense. It’s also astounding that Goodman wrote this song’s lyrics in the brief span of just twenty minutes. To learn this speaks volumes of praise towards Goodman and his mastery of lyrical form.
Goodman was a music nerd in grade school, and in many senses followed the beat of his own drum, a fact that was true then and is true now. Surely, Goodman is not one to follow music trends, by any means. There’s no reason when the artist has his own path to get his music onto paper and, later, deep into the airwaves. A self-proclaimed “melodist” – and with good reason, too! – Goodman says of the process in which he wrote this song:
When I write songs, they are personal and cathartic, but what I focus mostly on is a central “theme” that comes from the improvised lyrics, and how it complements the hooks. If it gets stuck in my head, I know there’s something there. I ask myself the question, ‘would I want to listen to this?’
Goodman
Therefore, it only stands to reason that “Only Testimony” is a single that should, feasibly, withstand that level of scrutiny in the ears of his listeners. Because believe us when we say, we would want to listen to “Only Testimony” and other songs like it as well.
You can listen to Goodman’s newest single, “Only Testimony”, on Spotify now!
