The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike

The Go! Team
Thunder, Lightning, Strike
Columbia Records
Grade: A-

As one of the most hyped bands in the last year, The Go! Team unleashes thirteen tracks of crazed 70s funk, soul and pop cranked into a contemporary indie dance sampling framework on the UK Mercury Prize-nominated Thunder, Lightning, Strike. Fronted by Ian Parton, this Brighton, England six-piece sounds more naturally from a happy sunshine type place – like LA without all the bad – than the cloudy shores of the British Isles. After Parton had developed his craft on his own, he had to assemble an ensemble in order to play out live. He did so by enlisting Sam Dook (guitar, banjo, drums), Jamie Bell (bass), Chi (drummer), Silke (multi-instrumentalist) and lady MC Ninja – because you always need a lady, a MC and a ninja. Although most of the songs contain a thick, hodge-podge of a billion instruments and samples all to get you moving, songs that stand out feature gang, lo-fi vocals. The pure instrumentals (e.g., “Feelgood By Numbers,” “Get It Together,” “Junior Kickstart”) are nice affairs, but the vocals add more weight and childish joy to the sound. As such, highlights come from “Ladyflash,” the awesome “We Just Won’t Be Defeated,” “Bottle Rocket” and “Huddle Formation.” Now with the recognition and financial backing of a major label, it will be interesting to see whether Parton and co. maintain the lo-fi sound or go with something more grandiose.