WOULD BE GOODS - Tears Before Bedtime

For many, the name Would Be Goods remains tied to their debut for EL Records, “The Camera Never Lies Me”, an album that also marked the band’s career for the presence of Monochrome Set as the supporting act, a connection that frontwoman Jessica Griffin kept alive for the following chapter “Mondo”, before a long silence broken by a trio of albums for Matinée, records that, while interesting and not without standout moments, failed to win over audiences and critics, having somewhat betrayed the amateurish, almost hobbyist nature of the early records.

Almost forty years on from that first album, Jessica Griffin dusts off her original naif spirit for a collection of songs, “Tears Before Bedtime”, that restores Would Be Goods to the most refined corners of the indie-pop imagination.

With a backing band that seems conjured from the magic hat of the 80s and the C86 summer – Andy Warren of The Monochrome Set and Peter Momtchiloff (Heavenly, Talulah Gosh) are part of the lineup – Jessica Griffin sings with the same ye-ye innocence as ever ("Don't Come Crying To Me"), digs her hands into the English poetic and literary tradition with a masterful balance of wistfulness and lyricism (the aching "Old Flame"), and lines up a string of pop songs with a sensual, cheeky charm ("Tears For Leda") that have nothing to fear from comparisons with the past ("Witch Hazel").

The success of the recent book on EL Records and the triumphant return of Louis Philippe will perhaps give further momentum to the comeback of Would Be Goods. For those unfamiliar with the band, the circus-like mockery of "The Back Of Your Bike", the swaying twee-pop of "Dr Love", the psychedelic twist of "Carmilla" and the typically British irony of "The Bride Wore Black" will land like a gentle punch to the gut. Apparently harmless songs that conceal, within their eccentric imperfection, far more than one might imagine.

If you add to this a dazzling song like "Madame X", which sounds like a Monochrome Set-style masterpiece of nonsense, you'll find it hard to set aside this unexpected manifesto of pop nonconformism.

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28/02/2026