Standing out from the crowd is a hard thing to do with al the punk/ska combos there are around. Yet Goldfinger have managed it and probably always will, due to the fact they realise that to make a good album does not mean sticking to exactly the same formula through every single song.
Most people will have already heard the very upbeat 'Superman' whilst trying to perform Chad Muska's 360 flip over the pipe in THPS, but for those of you who haven't it is a benchmark song, and one which will no doubt be the subject of many repeats, until you are thoroughly sick of it. Then you'll play it some more, because its so damn easy to sing along to - 'so confused, about what to do, sometimes I wanna throw it all away', which is better than any sugar rush.
Following this comes the slightly more serious 'My Head' which sounds entirely different from the first but is still brilliant. Another masterpiece, 'If only' is a song which has managed to combine different styles perfectly; anger and calm and humour which sounds oh so good. Now, 'This lonely place' sounded when I first heard it, like pigeon street (it has pigeons in it, and truck drivers.. er never mind) anyway, a kickass song nonetheless, taking on a slow rhythm and building gradually as more layers are added.
Quality choonage is the order of the day in goldfingersville, as '20 cents goodbye' and 'Question' both prove. Both are upbeat and have catchy hooks which makes Goldfinger probably one of the most original punk/ska blends.
'Carlita' takes on a far more ska tone, slowing the pace right down, provided a much needed break before the fast 'Too Late' and the obscure porn star intro of 'S.M.P' which bizarrely morphs into a death metal rap 30 seconds freak of a song. genius. 'The Last Time' although a damn good song, is just a mere filler when compared with 'Chris Cayton' which just rocks - 'Chris Cayton, I called you satan, cos when we were skatin' you would make the metal sign..' and lets the album go out in supreme style.
So are there any negative points? well yeah, 'I need to know'isn't bad but it doesn't exactly inspire me; this album definitely grew a lot on me over time, so don't automatically expect to appreciate it straight away. Apart from this, definitely worth your money.
nick
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