Trace Whittaker
Oct 26, 2023
Brooke Josephson's "Good Kinda Tired"
I love the surging, undeniable quality of Brooke Josephson’s “Good Kinda Tired”. It’s a song that, despite a less-than-stormy arrangement, is full of barely restrained fire. Josephson lets the song’s inner heat fly for the song’s chorus, but it’s more tantalizing than incendiary. It’s never anything less than gloriously effective, however. There’s a clear vitality emanating from each second of Brooke Josephson’s “Good Kinda Tired” that’s ultimately redemptive; no matter how much the vagaries of life have knocked the singer around, passion still bubbles beneath her surface, itching to get out.
This sort of simmering tension makes for the best songs. I hear it from the first, the sense of great physicality kept under wraps, and it prods listeners along from the first, compelling them to follow along. Josephson certainly knows how to weave an alluring musical spell for listeners. Great songs hold our attention, and the polished production, spot-on instrumentation, and solid arranging characteristics are chief reasons why “Good Kinda Tired” succeeded with me from the first listen.
It’s firmly ensconced within the pop country vein. There’s a smattering of rock coming through the track, without question, but Josephson’s songwriting instincts tailor it toward a pop slant, particularly in its construction. “Good Kinda Fun” has a definite shape. The chorus, likewise, hits listeners like me just right as the climatic payoff moment for the single.
The conversational lyrics are particularly well-suited for the video. Michelle Bossy’s direction shapes the song’s video around its message and the clear-cut use of language throughout the piece leaves little, if any, room for ambiguity. I got a strong sense of the singer’s emotional location after a single pass through the song. The makeup, hair, and costumes are especially apt and the promotional clip’s conceptual trappings do an excellent job of complimenting the song’s subject matter.
She keeps things condensed. This is to her credit. Other songwriters might have exhibited the tendency to meander rather than focus, as she does, with laser-like acuity on the matter at hand. There is no instrumental fanfare pulling at our attention. Josephson’s focus on the song’s needs speaks well of her overall artistic aesthetic and helps make “Good Kinda Tired” an even finer achievement.
She brings all the pyrotechnics we need with her voice. Josephson has a surprising soulful edge characterizing her vocals and there’s a healthy layer of grit and gravitas underlying her singing. She does a fantastic job interpreting “Good Kinda Tired” for listeners and appropriately modulates her voice given where she is in the piece. She’s the unarguable star of this performance.
Longtime listeners to Josephson will have this track reaffirm what they already know about her while newcomers will come away as instant converts. “Good Kinda Tired” is the sort of high-quality and accessible track that seemingly puts Josephson on the brink of a mainstream crossover where she sheds her indie status in favor of wider, broad-based appeal. Few artists working today are more deserving. Brooke Josephson’s “Good Kinda Tired” positions her as a major talent.
Trace Whittaker