Meet the pinnacle of jangle-pop in THE GOA EXPRESS’ self-titled debut
Full of psych and summertime, the Northern band’s debut is one to remember.
Photo: Press
THE GOA EXPRESS is the self-titled debut album of five boys from Burnley, following an appearance in Netflix’s Bank of Dave and several single releases. For a debut, it’s surprisingly well-crafted, culminating in ten luscious, riff-laden anthems.
The record opens with the clattering Honey, mixing the best of an ambitious, fresh-faced Stone Roses with the alternative pop rock perfection of newer bands like Black Honey. Frontman James Douglas Clarke embodies the passion of youth with vigour, as the whole band dreams up soundscapes as rich as they are just plain catchy.
It’s Never Been Better is one of the best songs of the year, nay, the fledgling decade. It’s lovable ‘90s jangle-pop spliced with a summertime anthem, to create a wall of blissful, intoxicating noise. On the back of this track alone, THE GOA EXPRESS’ debut deserves to smash charts and critics’ expectations alike. This one is a summer road trip playlist classic if I’ve ever known one.
The bright and airy choruses continue with chugging tracks like Good Luck Charm and punk-y You’re the Girl. Small Talk, meanwhile, combines the best of indie pioneers like The Libertines with TGE’s own house blend of not-quite-psych. The best way to describe music like this is explosions of colour across a blank canvas; rich blues, greens and reds merging with shimmering choruses, Clash-esque vocals and a whole lot of guitar.
The first ten seconds of Can’t Stay Quiet are sublime, with Better Than OK delivering the love child of the Ramones and Transvision Vamp, channeling the best of 1990s rock. THE GOA EXPRESS refuses to relent, though, going for the jugular with two excellent penultimate tracks in Talking About Stuff and Portrait, not so much Spector’s Wall of Sound but ‘Battering Ram of Alt Noise’. And we’re here for it.
Prove It is one of the group’s more complex tunes, building over the course of four minutes into something almost celestial, ensuring the album goes out with as much spectacle as its entrance. THE GOA EXPRESS isn’t just some of the best pop rock I’ve heard in recent times, though, it’s also a record made for the live setting. I can’t wait until the boys play near me; it might prove tough to recreate the depth and majesty of their debut on the stage. But, if they do, THE GOA EXPRESS chance becoming one of the best live acts out there right now.
THE GOA EXPRESS is out December 1st.