As a Whole
Where Good Thing Going succeeds is in the individual songs. Taken separately, there's a lot of impressive work here. "Just One of a Kind" has a memorable melody tightened by close harmonies all the way through and a fierce, albeit brief, fiddle solo. "I'm Leaving," which kicks off the disc, is an interesting choice of openers on a collection called Good Thing Going. Nonetheless, it's a sharp middle finger of a tune about getting out of a relationship while the getting's good.But, as a whole, the album just doesn't make sense. It lacks the cohesion of last year's All-American Bluegrass Girl. Then again, nowadays so many people just download individual songs. Those folks will have their pick of a number of great tunes. For those of us who still appreciate the album as a collective musical statement, though, it just doesn't work.
From Broken Up to Back in Love
It's unclear exactly what the good thing is that's going on here. There are as many songs about the jerk who mistreated you, as there are about, for example, the wedding day. Organizationally, the album jumps back and forth from broken up to back in love. And then, suddenly, there's "The Water is Wide"—granted, a lovely, well-performed version featuring a duet with Keith Urban. But, it only stands to highlight the unthematic organization of the disc.Sonically, the transitions are smooth. It's the subject matter that makes the theme of the album confusing. It's almost as though Vincent could have released a two-disc set: one featuring stellar break-up songs like "Who's Crying Baby," and another spotlighting songs of lifelong love, like "I Will See You Again." Alas, the disc instead comes across as a confusing jumble of what are, individually, exquisite performances from Vincent and her band.
