The Go! Team – Rolling Blackouts

As 2011 appears with the promise of yet more bleak weather, it seems that a real remedy is in need to beat that post-big-freeze hunch. Luckily for us super chipper kids, The Go! Team, have released their latest album to sort out those winter blues.

Yes, with near perfect, three minute, formulated pop they’ve returned to relentlessly exhaust those speakers. Kicking things off with boisterous opener, ‘T.O.R.N.A.D.O’, sees the group’s flair for sprightly, upbeat rhythms alongside their love for spelling out words. Similarly, ‘Apollo Throwdown’ and surprisingly ghetto track, ‘Voice Yr Choice’ throw down plenty of classic sounding Go! Team beats. However title-track ‘Rolling Blackouts’, adds something a bit different by delivering a more mature sound that still remains brimming with confidence. With plenty of instrumental tracks and general animated beats, older fans will immediately recognise The Go! Team’s charming mix of melodic funk and pleasant vocals, however, there’s still something immediately nostalgic about the whole album. ‘Bust-Out Brigade’, for example, could be mistaken as a backing song in Rocky, whilst ‘Yosemite Theme’, could easily be the theme tune to a range of 80’s sitcoms.

Nevertheless, the band are still adamant in mixing things up a bit. ‘Secretary Song’, ‘Ready To Go Steady’ and ‘Buy Nothing Day’ calm things down slightly in between the range of instruments with an upbeat twee-as-a-row-of-bunting inspired sound. At times songs venture into Pains Of Being Pure At Heart territory, with charming vocals and upbeat backing tracks, but the strange mix of hipster funk to mega twee in minutes ensures it’s altogether quite versatile.

The Go! Team certainly have a talent for getting you up and dancing against your own free-will and with Rolling Blackouts they’ve successfully done it again. The album never tries to break the mold in terms of being innovative but it’s sure to give you enough school spirit to beat the rival team.