In their latest release, titled Anything Could Happen, alternative pop-rockers Go Time! continue developing the sound that has brought them a lot of attention in the underground over the years while expanding on their creative approach. Go Time! don’t come into songs like “The Hard Way Out,” “Under the Radar,” or the title cut sounding like the same group they do in “Necessary Mistakes,” “Long Term Effect,” or “Meaning Behind It;” not for lack of artistic cohesion, but because of the multilayered artistry they’re employing so brilliantly in this most recent studio offering to bear their moniker on the cover.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/gotimeband
There’s a heavy classic rock influence to all of the material in Anything Could Happen, but in “Before it Goes Dark,” “Waiting for Your Command,” and “Burden of Proof” in particular, it’s impossible for even the most casual of listeners to ignore. None of it sounds specifically old school in tone but instead drawn as much from a modern perspective on the aesthetic as it is anything from the other side of the spectrum, and as much as this might seem like a minor and insignificant detail, this is hardly true given the context of this release. You won’t find many of their contemporaries trying as much in their work, and this alone makes the album a unique release.
This tracklist has a terrific flow that sometimes feels more like a jam session than it does a standard studio album. The title track and “Seizer Plan” have as unforced a feel as “Head Space” or “Necessary Mistakes” do, and when enjoyed in the same sitting these songs sound like content undisputedly cut from the same creative cloth. There’s no putting Anything Could Happen down once you get into any of its tracks, and if you don’t believe me I would challenge you to get started anywhere in its material to take a break before finishing the whole LP.
The percussion in “Before the Crash,” “Under the Radar,” and “Sensibility Withdrew” gets more spotlight than it ever would in a typical trio of pop/rock tunes, and it’s elements like this that make it hard to classify Anything Could Happen among the other alternative indie efforts hitting record store shelves this season. Go Time! have no interest in trying to condense their sound to fit the standards of a less-than-erudite group of musicians or producers, and though ambitious, this approach is producing some of the best content I’ve heard in years here.
Go Time! has been at this game for some years now, but with Anything Could Happen sounding as fresh and unique as it does, I don’t think there are any signs within their music of a slowdown coming anytime soon. They’ve done a great job of growing with the times and their fan base, and despite the pressure that comes with having a style of music as untouched by the commercial element as theirs is, I believe the example they’re setting at the moment is one that a lot of young alternative rock units should think about following.
Cleopatra Patel