Album Review

The Go Go Go's
Painstakingly Friendly
Rating 5.3/10

The Go Go Go's have once again melded the spike of emo-pop with the tyrannical call of the Northwest Liberal Socialist banter. Their latest effort, Painstakingly Friendly, is as much a social commentary on, what else, the Ozone, than it is any sort of teen-bending gut wrencher that it claims to behold. With the opener, Kiss the Beyootiful Butterflies, the album starts off impressively. There are more cymbolic crescendoes than in anything by Copeland (Aaron) and the repeated verse, "you will willow-slap me into what I willy want!" somehow brings the whole song together in a dirty Elmer Fudd sort of way.
Unfortunately the fun all but stops there. In the next three tracks, we are assaulted by a feedback orchestral attempt over the repeated phrase "I am the environment" in the 5 minute torture tune I am what you trash. Save them and Kicket are both droning whine anthems about sea turtles and littering in public subways, respectively. If not for the intrepid blazing guitar riffs on Eye in the Proverbial Pye, this album would quickly go the way of the manatee: chopped to little bits.
I think the Go Go Go's should stick to what they do best. Remember Go Power!? No mention of sea turtles, lots of window rock.

-Del Murthefuaka