“This one goes out to all the family/ The choice is yours… Godspeed” – Intro sets the scene, over Frank Sweet’s muscular, cymbal-smashing drums and Todd Andrews’ urgent riffs.
Instinct follows, offering some sage advice (“Listen to your instinct/ Fuck what the rest of them think”) over crisp drumming, clarion guitar parts and Will Shepherd’s tight, rhythmic bass playing – a standout element throughout this album’s entirety.
During the melodically rich R.I.P. Me, synth shadows some vocal melodies to great effect.
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“It’s gonna be tough, it’s gonna be tight, but you guys – ya gonna do it!” – Big Machine opens with a pep talk.
The piano-led Nobody Listens is about as close to a ballad as TNSW get, with Jamie Timony singing in fine voice. Then in barges Pig, taking no prisoners – vibeshift, alert! – before concluding with what sounds like a ragtime sample. Every TNSW album to date has featured an anti-cop song and Godspeed is no exception.
A future-mosh classic, Birdbrain continues with the hyper energy and maximum aggro. Timony’s vocal delivery is more brutal than ever here, until a sudden tempo change gives us a bit of a breather. “Fuck were you thinkiiiiiiiin’?” – a chorus of sweetly sung BVs sweep in like a pang of conscience.
The closing title track, which is about reclaiming your personal autonomy, dovetails neatly back to Intro: “Don’t let anyone in your life tell you what you can or can’t do… The choice is yours/ Godspeed.”
In case you haven’t noticed, the world is fucked right now. But listening to Godspeed helps.
LABEL: ADA
