Back in the late '60s and early '70s, Britain gave birth to
progressive rock
. Nestling in that genre's arms were a slew of bands that could
rock
with the best of them, but were also beholden to English
folk
. As American's knowledge of that latter style was limited to
"Greensleeves"
and
Simon & Garfunkel
's
"Scarborough Fair."
Which is good, because otherwise
Get Set Go
wouldn't sound anywhere near as audacious and unique as they do. On their debut album, the group seemed headed for a home in the
power pop
scene, but then they threw a spanner in the works with their
punk
-meets-
follow-up. However, the music on that sophomore set was almost secondary to the album's overwhelmingly personal themes, as
Mike TV
bared his soul, foibles, and terrible failings for all the world to see. Now, with their third album,
Selling Out and Going Home
,
seamlessly blend together all those styles and a bit more for good measure. So deft is the sequencing that the songs glide effortlessly from genre to genre, reinforcing the connections between them. Starting with a classic
sound, they bring in
elements, slide into a breezier '60s style, slip into melodic
, fall back into early
rock & roll
but with a decidedly
country
flair, countrify
pop
-
, folkify
pop/rock
, shift across
post-punk
synth pop/rock
, and speed
, and pull up into
alt folk
before finishing the set off with a bright '60s-styled, folksy popper. Some of the numbers are straightforward in their genre, but many mix in elegant strings, folky fiddle, and a variety of other elements to smudge the style. The arrangements are inspired, the performances flawless, while the moods constantly shift across the set. The themes follow a similar evolution, working their way from the romantic to the sexy and into the obsessive, fearful, jealous, and pitiful in poverty. You don't have to be a psychiatrist to recognize that at times
is substituting sex and love for drugs; hey, when he compares his girl to heroin, he's rubbing our noses in it. But his own problems have made him sensitive to others', and he reaches out to comfort the hurt and warn the alienated. There's a clutch of angst themed songs, with the anthemic
"Thirteen,"
in particular, a rallying cry for every disgruntled youth in the land. Anger spews forth here and there, as do a few raunchy numbers, but unlike the songs on
Ordinary World
, the lyrics are far more universal.
aren't the first band to reach back into the past and into other genres for inspiration, but their mixture is thoroughly unique, and the appeal is already self-evident.
rocketed them to fame, but as good as that was,
Going Home
leaves that World in the dust. ~ Jo-Ann Greene