On August 26, Philadelphia-based pop-punk trio, Goalkeeper, released “Sooner,” the lead single from their forthcoming debut album. The driving, melodic composition explores universal themes of love lost, regret, and change in a familiar and yet compelling way.
“Sooner” follows the narrative of a young couple who meet over the summer and fall in love. While the relationship is delightful and carefree with enough passion to stand the test of time, both the couple and listeners instinctively understand that unfortunately, it won’t.
“Just you and me on bikes riding under the street lights / Laughing hard about the shit we said / Do you gotta go home again?” vocalist and bassist Ryan Beebe sings in the opening lines. Marc Juliano (guitar) and Cody Ritchie (drums) round out the band’s lineup.
While the fleeting nature of summer love is decidedly not a new topic, Goalkeeper’s adept handling of the subject matter feels warm and sincere, allowing “Sooner” to strike a chord with audiences and conjure up the deepest memories. The introspective chorus lyrics – “I wish I met you sooner / It’s like I always knew ya” – feel like pages from journal.
“We wanted to touch on an experience that is safe to say most people have probably been in,” explained Juliano. “The type of situation where you knew that if you met someone at a different time, maybe it would have worked out. Those thoughts ruminate, and we find ourselves fixated on the situation even after it’s passed.”
Thanks to charged power chords and a raucous rhythm section, “Sooner” feels nostalgic and yearning, but not disheartening. The song provides a moment for you to be in communion with your past and then, just as quickly, release it back into the atmosphere, understanding that time brings change and life moves on.
“Sooner” represents some of Goalkeeper’s strongest work to date, and audiences can expect this same energy throughout the rest of the album. Fans of blink-182 will identify with Goalkeeper’s catchy and hard-hitting pop-punk sounds. “We wanted to bring out the best version of Goalkeeper possible,” Marc Juliano shared. “Taking everything we have learned as songwriters and jam it into 10 songs Goalkeeper style with signs of growth and maturity.”
Stay tuned for Goalkeeper’s debut album, I Wish I Met You Sooner, which releases October 28 via Lost Music Collective/The Orchard. Check out the music video for “Sooner” below, find more great music on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on Spotify or YouTube.
Cynthia Gross is a freelance writer and award-winning spiritual pop artist based in Maryland. With more than a decade of experience as an executive ghostwriter, she understands the power of each individual’s voice to create positive, meaningful change.
Subscribe to Alchemical Records today to support our efforts online and in print.
Join the Alchemical Records Street Team to promote these and other artists, live music, and music community organizations & events while receiving cool perks from artists throughout the region.
Recent Articles March 21st. A day that I will always think of amazing album releases. DC-based musician, producer, and singer-songwriter, Rachel Levitin, released Witty Banter
Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
