...And we come to the part of the story where the cool indie punk band reaches the metaphorical fork in its musical career path. Following one branch keeps the band true to its roots, forgoing major label money for smaller independent label credibility. Will the band remain in debt and semi-obscurity for the remainder of its life? The other path has the stigma of "sell-out" attached to it, but offers the possibility of paying off all of those debts and reaching more fans. There's no telling which one of these routes will lead to the musical cemetery. One will leave the band indie forever, possibly withering away without ever leaving its mark on the music scene. The other turns the band into a prepackaged meat product that the major label precipitously butchers for money. Are the masses ready for this new taste, or have they gone vegetarian?
So, Go is staring at you in the record store and you note that MCA Records has plastered its major label logo on the back of the CD cover. Do you look elsewhere, or snatch up the case? Ultimately, all you need to know is that this New York City quintet has churned out another round of its positive, melodic hardcore, and that it will test your own singing and air guitar-playing skills to their fullest extent. The opener, "Role Model", sounds like something out of H20's back catalog. The track’s undeniable hooks and encouraging lyrical message should quickly propel it onto the band's list of classic numbers that are played at every show. "Shine the Light" has hardcore passion bubbling from its core, with sing-a-long choruses and crashing drums tying everything together. "Self Reliable" blazes through shining notes and chugging guitar riffs, with Morse’s vocal delivery singeing the surroundings. As a matter of fact, the ridiculous MCA logo becomes a faint memory as Go progresses, because everything here still sounds like 100% genuine H20-styled hardcore. The band's sense of humor is intact as well, as demonstrated by the hidden track, a punk-style cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer".
Don't blame a label if the music sucks -- blame the band for writing shabby songs. In the case of MCA vs. H20, the band wins handily; they've produced another batch of fist-pumping sing-along anthems. The most important thing to remember here is the music. It's quite obvious that MCA has had little influence on the songwriting; Go could easily be another Epitaph release. However, if you're more concerned with philosophy, the state of hardcore credibility today or how to define "sell-out", perhaps you should sequester yourself in an academic environment and discuss the evils of capitalism and corporations. Send me a copy of your report card. Meanwhile, I'll be blasting Go and thoroughly enjoying H20's latest momentous release.
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