The Sound Of Confusion: The Go! Team

Album review by KevW

This article also appears on http://www.soundsxp.com/

The Go! Team's debut appeared in 2004 and was one of the most original and refreshing albums of the decade. Two and a half years later they released a follow up which was... pretty much the same thing only not as good. So a further 4 years down the line we get a third, 'Rolling Blackouts'.

How much has their sound changed in that time?

Horns (lots of them)? Check. Drums (lots of them)? Check. Schoolyard chanting, songs that could be from the soundtrack to a 70s cop show or a Western movie, old school hip hop breaks, 80s electro, a huge cacophony of meshing styles which has no right to work but does? Check, check, check, check, check.

If they've made essentially the same record again why should people still care?

For starters there aren't any other bands out there doing quite the same thing, certainly none doing it so well. Rather than the cut-and-paste patchwork of 'Thunder, Lightning, Strike', 'Rolling Blackouts' sees The Go! Team working as, and sounding more like an actual band, subsequently making this s their most complete album to date. Notable guest spots include Satomi Matsuzaki from Deerhoof, Bethany Cosentino from Best Coast and Dominique Young Unique – all of whom blend in perfectly.

Time will tell whether anything here will match the majesty of 'Bottle Rocket', 'Ladyflash', Doing It Right' and the like, but there are strong contenders in the form of 'Buy Nothing Day', 'Apollo Throwdown', 'Voice Yr Choice' and 'Back Like 8 Track'.

Above all this album is a blitz and a hell of a lot of fun, the musical equivalent to a massive bag of Haribo.

If rumours are to believed 'Rolling Blackouts' could be The Go! Team's swansong, in which case it's a fitting way to sign off. An absolute triumph.

Rolling Blackouts trailer: