Everybody has their own artists or songs that they listen to day and night when they first get into music. When I first started listening to music some five years ago, these bands and tracks included the likes of Nickleback's How You Remind Me, 3 Doors Down's Kryptonite, Treble Charger's Brand New Low, and, well, Gob. And of Gob's music, the track I favoured in particular was one of their singles, I Hear You Calling. It was featured on NHL 2002, a PC game I played religiously as a kid, and while on the game, I Hear You Calling was never played as much as Treble Charger's Brand New Low, it was a song I enjoyed, none the less. These days, I'll admit that I still enjoy all of the above tracks every once and awhile, but I wasn't sure how much further I would get into the music of any of the above bands. I decided to check out the Gob's third album, The World According to Gob. Released in 2001, the album broke the band through in the Canadian music industry, and contains the aforementioned I Hear You Calling.
Unsurprisingly, after the first listen I was very pleased with what I heard. Gob's upbeat pop-punk style is driven by powerful songwriting and catchy hooks, a song writing penchant displayed in songs such as No Regrets or For the Moment. And while those two tracks are occasions where Gob's musical ideals are most successful, one could point to any of the 14 songs off the 47 minute album and find the band fine tuning this trade. While some songs are undoubtedly on the poppier side of the punk spectrum, such as the atypically mid-paced Desktop Breaking or the fast-paced 114, there aren't really any bad songs on The World According to Gob. Though some will find certain tracks less than desirable (Desktop Breaking, if I had to pick one personally), there is something anybody into pop-punk could enjoy.
Perhaps the most consistent aspect of Gob is the album is the vocals. Both guitarists, Theo Goutzinakas and Tom Thacker deliver solid, albeit unoriginal performances. Pretty much every song features the pair delivering a memorable, catchy chorus. And of these choruses, the vocal lines of Tom and Theo play quite a large role in their effectiveness. Of course, there are tracks where, the verse-work is crafted better than that of the choruses, as can be heard in songs like I Hear You Calling and Sleepyhead. Instrumentally, Gob is rather tame and unimpressive on The World According to Gob, but the album has its moments. Sleepyhead is a one of the more heartfelt tracks on the album, combining a simple, calm rhythm with soothing, emotional melody. It creates a cool effect in that the guitar lines which make up the melody fade in and out of the mix. It's definitely one of those moments you have to hear for yourself.
Overall, Gob's The World According to Gob is a great album. It doesn't offer anything groundbreaking or original. It doesn't offer up a superb or a classic album. But what The World According to Gob hands listeners is a fun slab of pop-punk which any fan of punk, pop-punk, or modern rock could enjoy. The music is superbly crafted, yet at the same time, maintains a fun, laidback atmosphere appropriate for many a situation. Gob apparently has another album coming sometime in 2007, and if it's anything like their third full length offering, then we should be in for a treat. I would definitely recommend The World According to Gob, as it is a very enjoyable album. Just don't expect
too much.
Recommended Tracks:
I Hear You Calling
No Regrets
For the Moment
Sleepyhead
Everyone Pushed Down
