Review: The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike

The Go! Team are from the UK, so the Go Team must be from the USA! (Spinal Tap reference). Thunder, Lightning, Strike is a fun record but there's a hipster cuteness to it that sometimes turns me off. They create an impressive array of cacophonies that creep up on you like The Arcade Fire (the latter less in your face about it) but I'm just not a fan of scratching no matter how infrequent, and the old soul record horns they toss in are a bit too precious, like claiming your favorite movie of all time is an ABC After School Special.

The Go! Team do have an interesting shtick: They cook the dials so the high end distorts like a sizzle, the drums are muddy and muted, they sing in a style that combines cheerleading and schoolyard jump-rope, and they bang a lot of instruments junkyard style. About half of this is instrumental, and it's not all funk by any means like some reviews indicate. I really, really enjoy about 95% of this, and so much happens in each song it's not just a matter of saying I like this song but not that one. The allmusic.com review is my thoughts exactly without the total enthusiasm.

My favorite tracks are "Panther Dash", "Feel Good By Numbers" (sounds like the Snoopy theme), "Get It Together" (very pleasant flute), "Friendship Update" and (especially) "Huddle Formation", which packs as much energy as any Agnostic Front single.