CD REVIEW: GO VAN GO – Kill City: Switchblade EP

Shane | 22 October 2015 | Reply

CD REVIEW: GO VAN GO – Kill City: Switchblade EP
Independent
September 2015
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
7 /10

Like those other two-piece rockers making waves looking forwards with their hearts in the past, The Black Keys and The White Stripes, Go Van Go make a lot of noise for such a not a lot of people.

Featuring the by-now-expected bass-heavy guitar (here courtesy of singer/guitarist and sometime studio bassist Troy Henderson) making up for the lack of actual bass (except when Rafe Shola steps in on Known Better), and a cymbal-and-tom-pounding playing style from drummer, backing vocalist, percussionist, and commander of “assorted sonics” Dan Sugars, the Go Van Go is as hip, cool, and powerful as those who came before them.

Indie rocker Switchblade Renegades opens the five-tracker (the inner sleeve heralds the coming-soon Kill City: Renegades) noisily before the clever and catchy I’m Lost, But Well Travelled really reminds us of Jack White in earnest.

Known Better and Raygun are similarly catchy rocking little numbers, while Galactic shares around the peyote buttons for a tripped-out bit of space rock that nods towards Queens Of The Stone Age.

Henderson can’t be faulted if it’s voice sounds a little like Jack White’s, by any means, but Go Van Go are going to have to distill their influences to a more individual sound if they are to take their city killing bash n’ crash rampage to a wider audience.