Harmonies in Motion: Lake Street Dive’s Genre-Defying Journey in ‘Good Together'”

Good Together / Album Cover Art

Brooklyn-based band Lake Street Dive stands out in the contemporary music scene for their unique fusion of soul, pop, jazz, and rock elements. This continues to hold true on their latest album release, Good Together.

One of Lake Street Dive’s defining features is their ability to evolve while staying true to their core sound. This is evident right out of the gate on track one, “Good Together,” as synth pop beats are fused with a jazz horn section.

The band told Brooklyn Roads how the driving force behind the album stemmed from Bridget Kearney’s concept of “joyful rebellion,” inspired by The Staples Singers’ anthem of love as a transformative force. As she describes it, joy serves as a vital counterpoint to despair and outrage, infusing each track with a resilient spirit.

Lake Street Dive In The Studio / photo by Shervin Lainez

The first single off the album, “Dance With a Stranger,” captivates with soulful melodies and infectious rhythm. Rachael Price’s rich vocals and the dynamic instrumentation create a perfect backdrop for the song’s theme of spontaneity and connection.

Reflecting on the album’s themes, Kearney elaborated that joy fuels various confrontations with resistance, whether confronting “the possible awkwardness of being part of a communal dance party” in “Dance With a Stranger,” navigating social pressures in “Seats at the Bar” or addressing personal destabilization in “Walking Uphill.”

Lake Street Dive In The Moment / photo by Shervin Lainez

“Far Gone,” throws a curveball with an alt-rock presence still just as infectious as the opening tracks. Lake Street Dive seamlessly transitions from upbeat, dance-worthy tunes to introspective ballads on love, loss and personal growth.

Speaking of loss, founder Mike Olson’s retirement “left a musical and cultural hole,” Kearney says, but she notes that the addition of James Cornelison brings “a new character and easy-going dynamic to tour life.”

On tracks with special significance, the band says, “’Twenty-Five’ really hits all of us the deepest, I think, especially now that we’re in the 40s zone.” The band creates a perfect theme to end an album: “Set Sail (Prometheus & Eros)” is a light duet that reads as a “see you next time” message.

Reflecting on their hopes for listener connection, they shared, “We hope that the music will make them feel such a way where they have to move about it, think about it and reflect for themselves what we’re saying because of it.”