Raleigh indie rockers Goddamn Wolves end their latest release, The DOOM EP, with a wistful wallop on their new single "So Long," a bittersweet, harmony-heavy track that hints at the quiet loneliness of isolation and the slow-burning light of hope.
A track cobbled together as the world was shrouded in the emotionally convoluted fog of the COVID-19 lockdown, "So Long" came to fruition the only way it could at the time: file-swapping between band members Chris and Laura. That digital patchwork grounds the song in a very real, recent past. Fully fleshed out with live drums and gleaming harmonies, this new take gives a fresh jolt of life to a song forged in uncertainty.
In 2018, the band can't thoroughly shake its alt-rock leanings. Its influences (like the Pixies and the New Pornographers) remain evident on its sleeves. Still, the quartet keeps one eye on that legacy, invoking the melodic agility of contemporary indie stalwarts like the Beths and Bully. "So Long" could be the most emotionally candid moment on The DOOM EP; on the song, Chris and Laura trade vocal duties, offering their sides of a bittersweet memory and goodbye intertwined and twisted in typical 2020 fashion.
Like the guitar strings, the push-pull of the trade-off vocals is the perfect, elemental natural element that sits beautifully alongside the push-pull of its time connection vs. distance, resilience vs. fatigue. The outro truly sticks the landing. An opulent, three-part harmony from all three members lands like a communal sigh. It's a vocal moment that feels earned, a slow crest that doesn't overtake but trails long after the last note.