After more than a decade of recording and performing, Chicago-based Go Time! come back strong with 11, their tenth release, a milestone that underscores both their staying power and their continued creative drive. The lineup, Scott Niekelski on vocals, guitar, keyboards, Steve Grzenia on drums and backing vocals, Paul Schmidt on guitar, backing and vocals, and Mark Marketti on bass, remains intact, and that consistency shows in the band’s tight interplay and confident execution. Since emerging in 2009, Go Time! have maintained a firm foothold in Chicago’s community with a direct, high-energy approach. Over the course of ten albums, they’ve evolved in subtle but meaningful ways, refining their sound while preserving the urgency and character that first set them apart.
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The 11 album drops during a period shaped by personal hardship, including health struggles and loss within the band’s orbit. Rather than dimming their momentum, these experiences lend the album a sense of gravity and reflection that deepens its impact. The record opens with “Influencer,” a fast-moving and immediate introduction that captures the band’s instinct for sharp, driving rock songs. Beneath its brisk tempo lies a melodic undercurrent that softens the edges just enough, giving the track a balance between raw energy and tuneful accessibility.
“Dead Before Dawn” follows with a slightly darker tone, leaning into a wiry, rhythm forward beat that feels both urgent and controlled. The interplay between the guitars and vocals hints at a blend of classic new wave and roots influenced songwriting, creating a sound that feels familiar yet distinct. Across the album, there’s a noticeable thread of retro influence, not in imitation, but in spirit. The guitars often stretch into expansive passages, while the vocal phrasing carries a storytelling quality that recalls earlier eras of rock songwriting.
Tracks like “Expectations Falling,” “What’s Stopping You,” and “Fragments of Yesterday” benefit from this approach, each one carrying a reflective, wistful tone without losing forward momentum. “R D A” stands out for its lyrical clarity, pairing thoughtful lines with a steady, propulsive groove. Meanwhile, “Game of Extremes” pushes the band into more intense territory, with persistent percussion and increasingly fiery guitar work driving the song toward a compelling peak. The album takes a breath with “Fear of Forgetting,” an acoustic centered track that shifts the focus inward. Its restrained arrangement allows the themes, memory, time, and the reality of both, to come into sharper focus. “Too Soon” quickly reintroduces a fuller sound, its layered guitars and steady rhythm section restoring the album’s momentum with a renewed sense of purpose.
BANDCAMP: https://gotimeband.bandcamp.com/album/go-time-11
Elsewhere, “Easy” explores the aftermath of conflict with a measured, almost contemplative tone, while “Worthless Endeavor” introduces a looser, more jangling guitar style that nods to earlier rock traditions without feeling dated. “Turn Off Your Mind” leans into atmosphere, building a denser sonic backdrop that contrasts with the album’s more straightforward moments. “Stabs You in the Back” adds emotional weight through subtle shifts in dynamics, and “In the Dark” continues the trend with strong lyrical imagery and a steady, immersive groove. The closing track “Always On High” brings the album to a satisfying conclusion, tying together its themes of struggle, resilience, and forward motion. Across fifteen tracks, 11 captures a band that is not only enduring, but still searching, still refining, and still finding new ways to connect past experience with present expression.
Cleopatra Patel