I am a sucker for electro/post-punk music when it’s done well. Others may get tired of the trend and the new bands churning out every couple months, but as long as they remain as quality as White Rose Movement, Editors, and the Cinematics I say bring ‘em on. One such band that I have been anxious to write about and have been listening to all day is Go! Motion. They may sound like they’re from Manchester England but the jittery post-punk quartet are from Omaha Nebraska. So if a band is quality post-punk and is from the same home town as one of my favorite bands (The Faint) it seems like fate has decreed “Thou shalt like this band”, and you know what? I do.
As for the actual sound of the band, you can hear clear influences from Bloc Party, The Smiths, The Cure, U2, and even a little Bauhaus. All chopped, minced and brought to a boil in songs that are urgent and contemporary as well as carrying an echo of the past. The beats are frantic, the guitars chime and churn and explode into contagious choruses. “Different in Time” utilizes enigmatic synths to build up a mountain of sound before shifting gears and jumping off, without a parachute. “Somewhere Nowhere” is a song reminiscent of U2′s epic ballads mixed with the current dance-punk revival that creates a song that I would dance to at a wedding. Although I doubt anyone exists who would be hip enough to play this at their wedding. Perhaps the biggest standout would be the Cure-esque “Charm is Harmless” where Albert does his best to channel a snotty Robert Smith vocal to compliment the melodic plucks and swirling keyboards. Go! Motion doesn’t revolutionize the post-punk genre, but they do have a solid album that hits the sweet spot for a devoted post-punker like myself.
MP3 – Somwhere Nowhere – GO! Motion
MP3 – Different in Time – GO! Motion
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