Britain's own The Go! Team are undeniably one of the most unique bands out there right now. Sure, you might not realize it by looking at them from their appearance of a bunch of retro-minded hip hoppin' teens without a disciplined bone in their body, or perhaps just the opposite. Maybe so sheltered their parents forgot to fill them in on what's "hip" or "groovy".
..yeah that's going nowhere.
Anyway, certainly one way to describe the Go! Team is to attack their unique form of electronica, seventies Soap-Drama theme show music, indie pop and Sonic Youth-style noise rock all meshed up into a sort of ball of explosive noise. As confusing as that may sound, it can't help but conjure up some assumptions as to what the Hell it actually sounds like. One can't really experience the music without fully
hearing it, but I'll do my best to try and convince you that this album is pretty awesome.
Let's start with this - this album cannot possibly summed up in one word. To elaborate, let's look at a few examples of what this album has to offer in terms of diversity.
Junior Kickstart is an eclectic blast of Sonic Youth inspired noise clashed together with a marching-band inspired horn section and some serious attitude, sounding altogether like a seventie's hip crime show.
Friendship Update is a piano and synth fueled, happy-go-lucky blockbuster that may not show much change in it's four minute length, but by golly it doesn't need to. Purely fun and enjoyable without a trace of anything drastic to get in the way.
Feelgood By The Numbers sounds like something that the Peanuts gang would jig along to in a Peanuts cartoon, with it's jazzy, happy and smooth-sailing piano part accompanied with biting harmonica riffs and powerful yet subtle rhythm section. Basically, between this three songs the mood changes quite a bit, but constantly pleasing and always fun? One thing I can agree on for all of them.
Attitude can also play a factor in this album, though sometimes it's just a sly hint of it thrown into a bowl of energetic, playful and maybe even comical musical aura. Most of the more noticable attitude lies in the vocals, and while songs like
Ladyflash, with it's smooth and crooning soul vocals, don't exactly scream rebellious, but it's the fast-paced raps that lie in
The Power Is On and
We Just Won't Be Defeated that give the songs it's powerful stance. The fast, somewhat delinquent and frequently forceful raps give them a new edge, and over the general seventies sounding music it sounds altogether different and more powerful, something welcome to the album. The best song that falls under this catagory, however, is the completely startling and undeniably rhythmic
Huddle Formation, which lets the music do the talking. Sound more like a standard indie pop band than anything, it's not entirely a dissapointing thing. If anything, the strokes of unique creation the band gives it is entirely enjoyable, like it's constant guitar riff playing a noisy riff contained under mounds of compression, and the vocals which, as always, bring a sense of fun to the album.
But with a band as diverse as The Go! Team, it's not hard to realize that they also have a happier side (duh). Mostly focused in the instrumental pieces (due to the lack of anthemic vocals) or to the vocal pieces with either smooth or childish (How is childish good? Reminds you of being a little kid) sounding vocals, the band sure knows how to do a happy song.
Everyone's a VIP to Someone is a banjo and trumpet fueled closing piece, with it's heart-throbbingly pretty melodies and closing-titles kind of feel to it, it's like a sad but triumphant goodbye.
Ladyflash manages to keep things interesting by introducing the album to the happier formula, with it's violin stroking it's pretty chords, the triumpant drums obscured by the noises made by pianos and guitar, and it's incredibly soulful vocals.
Bottle Rocket is the closest the bands to sounding like a Superbowl half-time show marching band, completely fun and playful and with it's friendly rap vocals it's hard not to get sucked into it's sheer fun and danciness. Despite it's title,
Hold Yr Terror Close is a very un-threatening piece, somewhat reminiscent of the songs your preschool teacher used to play for you on the piano, but much more entertaining because of it's unique twist of almost Broadway vocals and even a dirtier production. Yesiree, this album is as much fun as swiss cheese.
Clearly, this is an album that one needs to hear to fully understand. But that's not to say that it's a clearly inaccessable album. To be fair, this album is very fun and diverse, interesting and thought provoking, and, well, just plain entertaining because of it's unique approach. An overly interesting and stimulating album, this will satisfy people who like smart music. But at the same time, this album is just a blast to listen for anyone who likes fun music. This album is much better if you learn to take it less seriously, pop it in and just enjoy the ride. It's like being a little kid all over again, only without the mess.
