The Burnley five piece's record is an express journey experience to soundtrack sunny days and making memories with those closest to you.
Over the past few years, Burnley five-piece The Goa Express have established themselves as one of the UK’s brightest young bands thanks to their infectious and hooky guitar sound. Finally, their long awaited self-titled debut is here: a fantastic collection of explosive indie tracks with psych-laden harmonies.
The influence of England’s Northwest music legacy is, quite simply, undeniable on the record. A group of lads brought up on a diet of ‘80s and ‘90s bands like The Stone Roses and The La’s, keen to revive a sound established a generation before them. If a little samey throughout, their debut record still offers something worth returning to. A heavy dose of youthful energy ensures the immediacy of the whole thing is palpable.
Soaring opener ‘Honey’ gets the ball rolling perfectly, featuring hooky guitar riffs and crashing percussion. James Douglas Clarke reminisces back to sunnier times and an impassioned repetition of the song’s title in the earworm chorus can’t fail but raise the neck hairs. Meanwhile, the punchy ‘You’re The Girl’ is amongst the album’s shortest and sweetest, the fuzzy guitars echoing The Strokes’ early days.
The opening half breezes through before finishing in style. Sitting eight tracks in, the dreamy and euphoric ‘Talking About Stuff’ is one of several highlights. The simplicity of Clarke’s lyrics are steeped in nostalgia for a romantic seaside retreat: “Splashin' the surface, windin' each other up / Under the water talkin' 'bout stuff”. On album finale ‘Prove It’, the acoustic strumming then gives way to an explosion of guitars and drums, akin to one final hurrah of a day full of carefree holiday fun.
The Goa Express deliver on a largely enjoyable debut. Breathless yet still warm and poppy, the tunes rarely outstay their welcome. The Goa Express sparkles in brightness and youth: a celebration of being young and full of life. An express journey experience to soundtrack sunny days and making memories with those closest to you.