Godcaster
Long Haired Locusts


3.5
great

Review

by Cyan isn't a shade of blue. USER (41 Reviews)
November 16th, 2020 | 94 replies


Release Date: 2020 | Tracklist

Review Summary: A perky, dancy, indie punk album that shows the potential and talent of an amazing band, but isn’t quite there yet.

Clearly drenched in influence from various styles from the 90s and early 2000s, Godcaster’s debut Long Haired Locusts is like a mixed bag. From the abrasive dance-punk of “Even Your Blood Is Electric” to the funk-punk of “Sexy Heffer” to the light indie sunshine pop of “Sassy Stick Boy” the album’s goal seems to be to create a string of fun, but friendly, chaos. If this truly is the album’s primary goal, it accomplishes it well.

Many of the songs either begin with or fizzle into crazy instrumental sections. With disheveled guitar solos, roaring bass, and boisterous vocals, the band members sound like they were born to be seen live. Sadly, on the record itself, this causes some of the songs to feel half-baked and indistinct. Simplistic repetitive lyrics and directionless jams are abundant. For instance, on “The Skull!!!” : the shouting of “Take a look at that skull!” over and over for a minute and a half at a concert or party could warrant a good time, but listening to it while alone in your room might verge on grating. The over simplicity is not exactly conducive to a thoughtful listen. However, if your friends are into indie and punk music, play this for them in a setting that warrants dancing and they should have a great time.

Some of the more unique decisions on this album are the frequent inclusions of both falsetto female backup vocals and flute accompaniment. This gives Godcaster a flavor of their own, as well as a way to brighten up their otherwise dense and flashy rock jamming. They’re also quite good at creating catchy pop hooks. Despite “Sexy Heffer” suffering from the same exact lyrical problems as “The Skull!!!”, Its chopped up funk guitar is so infectious and memorable, that its shallowness doesn’t matter. When they do occasionally put effort into their lyrics, they are quite surreal and quirky with “Let me quench your feral fear, extract the tumor in your ear” from “All the Feral Girls in the Universe” being an example. Despite the album’s flaws, the band behind it is clearly quite talented.

Long Haired Locusts is social, goofy, high energy, and sometimes downright mindless (in a fun way,) so it’s not meant to be taken too seriously. With some more focused songwriting, their potential follow up release could be something truly wonderful, but Godcaster will have to break some of their bad habits to get there. Many artists before them have matured without sacrificing their exuberance, so it may even be expected that they follow suit.

Album highlights: “Even Your Blood Is Electric”, “Don't Make Stevie Wonder”, “Escape from the Challenger Deep”, “All the Feral Girls in the Universe”



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user ratings (18)
3.1
good

Comments:Add a Comment 
ArsMoriendi
November 16th 2020


41524 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Thanks for the help with editing this JohnnyOfTheWell



Bandcamp: https://godcaster.bandcamp.com/album/long-haired-locusts

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4oCZ9Pg2iuyTrbXVvVkzj1?si=wTokQyfvSaC-mrTFIce08w

SandwichBubble
November 16th 2020


13812 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Hey! Nice one.

No mention of bingo bodies though, shame.



This reminds me so much of 2000s Deerhoof and Liars, it's really a treat.

dedex
Staff Reviewer
November 16th 2020


12829 Comments


nicely done Ars, this sounds cool

robertsona
Staff Reviewer
November 16th 2020


28180 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I'll read this review in a second, but seeing a Godcaster review on sput is a trip. I'd say there are brilliant songs and then good songs on this album. I fucking love the ending to "dirtbike bike"

robertsona
Staff Reviewer
November 16th 2020


28180 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

very good review, I feel that sometimes the simplicity of the songwriting ("electric," "feral girls," "heffer") can be a downside but it's so boisterous and fun and creative too (all of those songs are ultimately winners, by a little bit). "apparition"->"sassy"->"dirtbike bike" is my highlight, with the first half of "bingo bodies" up there too even if the not-jud singer is a bit patchy



check out the live video of them at the SODA Bar on YouTube--it's one of the coolest-shot concert vids I've seen!

JesperL
Staff Reviewer
November 16th 2020


5664 Comments


great rev ars, pos'd! am intrigued, will give it a listen

Pangea
November 16th 2020


10740 Comments


nice review ars! this looks interesting

someone
Contributing Reviewer
November 16th 2020


6954 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

i think i'll sample a few songs

robertsona
Staff Reviewer
November 16th 2020


28180 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

THE HAIR OF WOMEN!

robertsona
Staff Reviewer
November 16th 2020


28180 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6Sw_YTLDB4 this is the soda bar show for anyone interested 4:35 is my favorite part ("apparition"). funny and sad that this dude's camera probably cost like a thousand dollars and he labors so hard to get cool shots and it has barely 1k views. looks so fun, fuck a pandemic. although this is when Von left the band so no flute and high-pitched singing. but then she came back for the album Christmas miracle. lots of good videos with her involved too. maybe the interest in live videos isn't as great as I assume tho lol, I love watching them

ArsMoriendi
November 16th 2020


41524 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Thanks everyone!



@robertsona: God that video reminds me of when I used to go to these college basement parties with the live bands, but way more punk



Since the ones at my college ones were usually more jam bandy/or jazz fusiony

Ryus
November 16th 2020


37886 Comments


opener reminds me of the talking heads. sounds interesting

robertsona
Staff Reviewer
November 16th 2020


28180 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

the best night of my life was my first time throwing a show (at my sister's house in brooklyn) and it ended up like that. there are a couple videos there too. I was gonna have another show march 21 2020



g od fuckin dammit



I feel like your feelings on the opener (which I think is pretty good) and the second song (which rocks my socks) are a sort of litmus test, cuz the first song is basically one chord and the second song is Many Chords



this album was recorded to tape (i.e. "fuck it we'll do it live" approach) which is impressive, it sounds amazing

ArsMoriendi
November 16th 2020


41524 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

You throw shows like that link in Brooklyn? Oh fuck that sounds amazing

SandwichBubble
November 16th 2020


13812 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

"this album was recorded to tape"

the only proper way

only half-kidding

robertsona
Staff Reviewer
November 16th 2020


28180 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

nah just the once really. I co-booked a couple shows after that but that was my first time doing it and it turned out nuts. (this was again the greatest night of my life so I'm all too eager to relate details)



my sister lives in a clothing store that doubles as a house venue that holds maybe 50 people inside and maybe 70 people outside. I emailed my favorite local band, palberta, randomly and was depressed and not paying rent living with my parents working an hourly job but I had saved up some money and I was like "ok this is the first time I've ever done anything even close to this but hey palberta would you like to play my sister's house for some amount of money that I'd literally just hand you myself in cash" and they were like "sure" and then as it turns out they know EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN BROOKLYN so they all got invited. you could barely move there were so many people. everyone had a fucking blast but me since I was running around scared the whole time but by 3AM I was like "nice that fucking rocked and literally nothing went wrong". the relatively well-known artist Porches (performing under the name Ricky Music, which would later become the title of his 2020 album) played, again to like 50 people. and then palberta less than two months later were the opening band for bikini kill at Brooklyn Steel which holds 1,800 people. I sent all the emails (maybe like 100 of them total) and set the whole show up myself so it's the best thing I've ever done, the thing I'm most proud of



if you search "drty smmr" "3/9/2019" there are some videos: my sister took this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whEaNb0RraI the music isn't as crazy as godcaster so people aren't moshing etc. but a guy crowdsurfs in that video. someone recorded the porches set and I put it on soundcloud too, it's really good. albeit it's an iphone voice memo. made like 50 good friends that night

Voivod
Staff Reviewer
November 16th 2020


10937 Comments


Album stream:
http://godcaster.bandcamp.com/album/long-haired-locusts

So happy to see this reviewed pos, a great album indeed.

rellik009
November 16th 2020


2077 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

this is actually fucken sick



fantastic review

Ryus
November 16th 2020


37886 Comments


lol i'm almost certain i've been to drty smmr before

robertsona
Staff Reviewer
November 16th 2020


28180 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

it's right across from birdy's and happyfun hideaway, like four blocks east of the myrtle-broadway jmz station in bushwick



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