Keighley’s Goo have released their fantastic debut album Oh Wow, Oh Well – emphasis on the “wow”!
I’ve been loving Goo since I first discovered them a couple of years ago, when they played Manchester Punk Festival – since then, they’ve played the LOUD WOMEN stage at Rebellion Festival, and earlier this year, they toured with Marmozets.
Recorded in a converted chapel, this album is 12 tracks of perfectly blended punk, grunge, and 90’s alt-rock influences. When it comes to songwriting, the band had this to say:
“The album’s music is written to be played live. We always start with a riff or a chord sequence, and if it’s fun to play together, we’ll get to work on it. For us, they need to have the energy to hold the attention of a live audience for 30 minutes, so we trim the fat and make sure each section is hooky and immediate.”
The album opens with a sense of urgency, as the intro to ‘Payday’ kicks in, while ‘Tsunami’ had me thinking of Elastica’s post-punk meets brit-pop sound. Midway through, Goo slow things down slightly with the melancholic ‘It’s My Birthday’. It builds up to a soaring, emotive chorus, as Tanisha laments “Another year older \ Another year gone to waste.”
I am genuinely obsessed with this album, and I hope it finds its way into plenty of ears. Goo have gone from strength to strength over the last few years, and ‘Oh Wow, Oh Well’ perfectly encapsulates all that they’ve achieved, and why they deserve your attention.
You can catch Goo on their album tour now, dates below – get yourself there!
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