| Music Review | Josh Hinkle |
The Go! Team "Thunder, Lightning, Strike"
Finally, this album has made it to the states. There has been quite a bit of legal wrangling to clear all the samples used on the songs, and Columbia shelled out tall American dollars to make it all happen. I think Columbia might be disappointed in the return on their investment if sales are any indication, but to my happy ears it was worth every cent they spent. This record is the soundtrack in my head when I am outside on a perfect day. If Architecture in Helsinki makes you want to dance around, this album makes you want to drink as much soda as you can while watching Boomerang and then go outside and run up a tree. And jump over the sun. It sounds like everything you've ever heard, because it's everything you've ever heard all mixed in a big pot and served back to you in 4 minute chunks of sonic energy. There's some 60's psychedelic pop, some funk, some soul, some hip-hip, rock, even a little banjo. On paper it sounds like a big old mess, but on CD it sounds effin' RAD! And the band themselves look the part- they all wear matching red t-shirts with sequential lettering- G-O-T-E-A-M. Sort of a sports team of pop music, if you could make up a team that had Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, the Flash, Frank Zappa, ninjas and had Red Bull for blood. More energy like this is needed in music today. Maybe if they'd toured with Nirvana a decade or so ago, Kurt would've realized that things aren't so bad.
Standout tracks: Panther Dash, Ladyflash, The Power is On, We Just Won't Be Defeated, Huddle Formation
For Fans Of: jumping rope, kickball, music, sunshine, perfect weather, cheerleading, kids, fun, skating
Fun Fact: The whole CD is fun