You Be the Lightning Tracy McNeil & The Goodlife

• 1 Highway Girl 04:59
• 2 Not Like a Brother 04:48
• 3 Catch You 03:52
• 4 Match to a Rock 03:45
• 5 Rain Fall Down 05:02
• 6 Midnight Hurricane 05:02
• 7 I Want to Know 03:34
• 8 Stars 03:56
• 9 Without Speaking 01:33
• 10 Postcards 05:47
• 11 Golden Age 04:02
• Total Runtime 46:20

Info for You Be the Lightning

"You Be the Lightning" is the fifth album for Melbourne-based Canadian ex-pat Tracy McNeil, and her band The GoodLife.

Featuring the recent single 'Stars', and the much-adored 'Not Like A Brother' (an instant hit with music directors at ABC Local, Double J & ABC Country - and "one of the best ballads you’ll hear from anyone all year" – Double J), You Be the Lightning once again highlights the songwriting brilliance of McNeil. Within the broad strokes of Americana music, Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife have refined their own palette, expanding on their distinctive alt-country roots, culminating in a body of work that many believe is the bands' finest to date.

Described as ‘fully realized,world-class country rock’ Tracy McNeil has released 4 albums in Australia to the adulation of critics and aficionados, her 2015 release Thieves taking out ‘Best Country Album’ at The Age Music Victoria Awards. Together with her band The GoodLife she brings to the table a healthy dose of Californian shimmer harking back to the halcyon days of late 1970’s L.A. country rock. Yet there was something in the magic of her forthcoming fifth studio album ‘You Be the Lightning’ that snagged the attention of radio, critics and Cooking Vinyl Australia who signed McNeil off the back of the first listen.

As the leading singles gained speed, ’Stars’ garnering a review by Triple J’s Roots n’ All proclaiming McNeil as “the female Ryan Adams with more pop sensibility” and ‘Not Like a Brother’ landing on Double J, ABC Country and ABC Local playlists amongst a stack of great reviews – Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife are off and running with what many are saying is her best material to date.

Tracy McNeil, vocals, guitar

Tracy McNeil
Canadian born McNeil has been releasing albums in Australia to the adulation of critics and aficionados since her arrival on our shores in 2007. Described as ‘fully realized, world-class country rock’ (Rhythms Magazine), her latest release Thieves (winner Best Country Album at The Age Music Victoria Awards), brings a healthy dose of Californian shimmer, harking back to the halcyon days of late 1970’s L.A. country rock with Laurel Canyon-esque harmonies hung from pop hooks.

As a singer/songwriter, Tracy McNeil delivers classic Americana sounds with a healthy dose of shimmer, harking back to the halcyon days of late 70s L.A country rock harmonies hung on pop-hooks. With her band The GoodLife, they coast a musical landscape infusing her Canadian roots with the heart and grit of Australia’s alt-country music scene.

Winning Best Country Album for her last release, Thieves (The Age Music Victoria Awards 2016), she was featured in Rolling Stone’s coveted Future Is Now segment, stating Thieves as “a dazzling LP…A technicolour West Coast dreamscape: the sound of sunrise over cedars and noonday Joshua Trees and high desert dusk…”

After sell-out album launches in Melbourne, she has embarked on national tours and has appeared at many major festivals around the country including: Out On the Weekend (VIC), Port Fairy Folk Festival (VIC), Dashville Skyline (NSW), Riverboats (VIC), Bigsound (QLD), Welcome To Morrisonville (QLD), Nannup (WA) as well as performing at AmericanaFest in Nashville (US) as part of Sounds Australia. She has support visiting international artists such as Mary Gauthier (US), Tony Joe White (US), Dawes (US), Deer Tick (US) and Walter Trout (US) and local luminaries Weddings Parties Anything and The Audreys.

After sold-out shows in Melbourne, she has toured the country and appeared at many major festivals including Out On The Weekend (VIC), Port Fairy Folk Festival (VIC), Dashville Skyline (NSW), Bigsound (QLD) and AmericanaFest (Nashville, USA). Throughout her musical career, McNeil has supported international artists Dawes (USA), Old Crow Medicine Show (USA), Eilen Jewell (USA), Mary Gauthier (USA), Tony Joe White, (USA) Great Big Sea (CAN), Lindi Ortega (CAN) and local luminaries, Liz Stringer, The Audreys, Jeff Lang and Weddings Parties Anything.

Featured in Rolling Stone’s coveted ‘Future is Now’ segment, they highlighted Thieves as “dazzing fourth LP…a technicolour West Coast dreamscape: the sound of sunrise over cedars and noonday Joshua Trees and high desert dusk…” (4 stars).

“Tracy’s band The GoodLife are a true-super group made up of stellar musicians in the tradition of mid-period Fleetwood Mac.” – Basement Discs

Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife currently features multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Dan Parsons on lead guitar, Brendan McMahon on keys, Bree Hartley on drums, Craig Kelly on bass and Tracy McNeil on guitar and lead vocals.

This album contains no booklet.