Released - 2/1/11
Label - Memphis Industries
BLURB - I've got to say, I was really looking forward to "Rolling Blackouts" from The Go! Team. Granted, I had only really heard one other song of theirs ('Milk Crisis'), but it was amazing enough that I figured their new full length would be just as spectacular. Uhh....guess again. The album is a whirlwind of chaos and noise, for the most part. It kind of reminds me of what Sleigh Bells would sound like if, instead of a two piece, they were a forty piece marching band. The album seems to be moving in every direction, but never really goes anywhere...if that makes any sense.
Rating - 3.5 out of 10
FULL STORY - 'T.O.R.N.A.D.O.' is the most annoying song you will ever hear - this I'm sure of. Placing this song first on the album is perhaps the worst mistake The Go! Team could make. It's all over the place - a sensory overload. I made it threw about 45 seconds before I had to skip forward, hoping none of the songs that followed sounded anything like it. Immediately I was given a terrible impression of the record and couldn't help but feel some bias and pre-judgements filter in as I continued listening.
The second song, 'Secretary Song' was much more bearable, and something I would actually consider a decent song. It's bright and catchy, yet restrained and stays in it's lane. The Go! Team (and especially this track) remind me a little bit of CSS, a band that's grown on me over the years. Like CSS, I could see this track by The Go! Team making it's way into an iPod commercial. It's just cool and fun, and has a great feel to it.
Next up is 'Apollo Throwdown,' which reverts back to some unorganized chaos. Yes there is some melody and hooks here, but the use of so many instruments, synths, bass and group vocals inundates the track making it too heavy to listen to.
I'll admit, the first time I heard 'Bust-Out Brigade' I liked it. It plays like a danceable college fight song, complete with xylophone solos. If nothing else, it's very cool and unique the first couple times you listen to it. But after about the fifth listen, the nostalgia just wears off and it just settles in as this trombone-laden instrumental that goes nowhere and bores you to death.
'Voice Yr Choice' has this awesome (albeit brief) lead that sounds eerily Grateful Dead-esque. Surprisingly, this is one of my favorites of the album. For the most part, their overused horn section is subdued, allowing for other keyboard and vocal melodies to take the foreground. The song has a weird pop quality to it, while also coming off as energetic and diverse.
Random tangent - in my spare time I'm always making these hour long mixes for the gym. I press play, work out, and then once music is done...I'm done. But for the most part I always put obscure dance music on there that has a good beat and is different. I only say this because I think I'm going to put 'The Running Range' on my next one. That's not to say that I like the song, but if you listen to it, it just has this really cool beat that blends together a bunch of genres and has a great deal of momentum and movement. The track only has a few lines of lyrics, but the song is catchy enough to keep you interested for the three minutes and change that it runs.
"Rolling Blackouts" is probably one of the bigger disappoints this year, though. I was hoping for something like Sleigh Bells meets CSS, but got my high school band on Red Bull and Pop Rocks. The album is difficult on the ear drums and, and for the most part, lacks the hooks and melodies that would keep me interested. There's maybe a song or two on here that are worth checking out, but overall I wouldn't recommend going out and buying the album.
Have a listen to 'Secretary Song.'
Tracks
1.) T.O.R.N.A.D.O
2.) Secretary Song
3.) Apollo Throwdown
4.) Ready to Go Steady
5.) Bust-Out Brigade
6.) Buy Nothing Day
7.) Super Triangle
8.) Voice Yr Choice
9.) Yosemite Theme
10.) The Running Range
11.) Lazy Poltergeist
12.) Rolling Blackouts
13.) Back Like 8 Track
14.) Headache in My Heart
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