The Go! Team
Proof of Youth
Sub Pop Records; September 2007
Although clearly more produced than its DIY debut, The Go! Team stays true on the latest release, Proof of Youth; a bizarre cocktail of instrumentation and vocals; mixed and mulled, sampled and live, reflective and futuristic. “Grip Like A Vice,” the album’s chaotic first single, encapsulates this sort of sonic pandemonium with Junior Senior-esque synth hooks, repetitive guitar rhythms, ’80s break beats, and sampled rapping from a 1984 BBC session. The Go! Team delves into new experiments with “My World” and “Patricia’s Moving Picture,” with reflective instrumentation that’s somewhat akin to the sounds of Air or Brian Eno. All in all, the band takes the often feared sophomore album in stride, using conventions from the first to create undeniably infectious, mashed-up tracks while expanding its sound stylistically with the addition of songs that break apart its self-imposed mold.
