For those who don't know me very well, I have been on an unsigned music high for the past few months since I saw Goat. You can see my full review for their show in a link I will post at the end of this review.
Lowell kindly gave me the CD as a parting gift before I left the record store. I was expecting a memorex CD Case and "GOAT" written crudely in permanent marker (I have been to enough shows to know this). I was very surprised with the sleek packaging and fully printed cover and CD.
The Track listing goes as follows:
1.Superficial
2. Before the Cock Has Crowed
3. Oil Spill
4. Ruminant Queen
5. Day 82
6.Escape
7.Sometimes
8.Melancholy Nonsense
9.Mr. Holmes
The album opens strong with the horn blaring, maraca shaking, body twisting reggae inspired beat of "Superficial" with an equally strong message: not everything is what it seems to be. It has a Sublime vibe to it, but with a heaping dose of Led Zeppelin wisdom right into its core.
Now, I had to giggle at the word in the second track and I will let you guess which one it is! "Before the Cock Has Crowed" is sprinkled with (unintentional?) sexual innuendos here and there, the slow flat melody, and a soft voice that sounds like Bob Dylan singing to a baby. It may sound bad the way I explained it, but you just have to listen to it to get my jist.
Now, for my favorite track on the album. "Oil Spill". It can be Al Gore's campaign theme for god's sake! The relaxing acoustic guitar combined with Lowell's soothing voice may make the song sound innocent, but addresses several world problems. One of which: pollution and environmental health. I am a big wildlife supporter and this song clearly explains what I believe in, and I praise the excellent song writing.
"Ruminant Queen" is a gem played live, and it was the song that originally got me intrigued by their music when I walked into the record store. Josh's guitar playing really shines here and Lowell steps back from the mic a bit to allow Josh's unsung and humble nature break down it's barriers and shred. It transitions back and forth from smooth and soft to hard and blaring (almost like Styx). It is simply the epitome of progressive rock at its finest.
"Day 82" caught my ear by the simple opening line: stuck in a freefall. I enjoy the sound of Zack's drums on this track, as well as Josh's amazing guitar playing. Lowell keeps it toned down on bass and delivers on lyrics yet again. The track has more of a bluesy sound to it. The outro is the highlight of the album, and Josh simply blew my mind YET AGAIN.
"Escape". Perfect song to do so. You are kind of hypnotised during the whole song. The bass sneaks into the intro and Josh slowly gets more and more aggressive by each track. The drums layer perfectly and the lyrics are, yet again, phenomenal. "You better hope you die before you learn to call this home." I leave you at that.
The album takes a quick break from the mayhem and returns back to a slow, ballad(?) like tune in "Sometimes". Lowell finally shows off his bass skills in the intro and (I cannot tell whether it is an angelic choir or Josh) backs up his wonderful vocals. The whole band stays minimal with everything they do and it all balances out, with one not overpowering the other.
My second favorite track, Melancholy Nonsense, is nothing like its title. It is a bit like Before the Cock Has Crowed, and focuses a bit more on the instruments, but the little sampling of the Beatles' Hey Jude toward the middle always brings a smile to my face and is another highlight of the album.
Last but not least, we have MR. HOLMES. Basically it is a stew of everything you can imagine. All the songs combined into one. The cream of the crop. For those fellow Weezer fans like me who know the song "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived", this is basically part 2. Never been a big fan of instrumentals, but this is a great exception. This song defines how serious these guys are about their music. This song lands them a place in their genre. This track defines GOAT.
The whole album can be listened and downloaded here:
http://soundcloud.com/zsorenson
Visit the band's website:
And show them some love on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Goat/156102751075608
I hope these guys explode with fame, because they deserve it. One of the best debut albums I have ever heard and progressive rock fans, punk fans, and everyone else will thoroughly enjoy these. guys. New album will be released soon so I will update you regularly!
Past review:
http://lonelygrungekid.posterous.com/goat-clouds-on-strings-naked-lady-mudflap-and
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