Go (Album Version)

Album review

Is it possible to combine the elements of pop-punk, hardcore, and '80s pop music? H2O seems willing to try. After albums on Blackout and Epitaph, New York City's H2O have moved on to bigger and better things, namely MCA. Don't think they've sold out, though. Go still has all the elements for which H2O has become known for: a nice hardcore punk feel with fun, sweet vocals. H2O are part of the posi-core movement, with the majority of the songs being encouraging and helpful anthems, as opposed to many of the negative letdowns in the hardcore scene. In that positive spirit, Go seems like good driving music for the summer months. The most intriguing factor of H2O, though, is that Go seems to find them experimenting with some '80s pop music influences. The initial tip-off was their cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" at the end of the CD. However, songs like "Memory Lane" and the utilization of producer Matt Wallace (the Replacements, Faith No More) seems to hint that H2O is quite comfortable with their closet music interests. The band hasn't gone totally soft, though. They still know how to make things fast, entertaining, and edgy. The majority of the tracks easily prove that. On the downside, some of the songs such as "I Want I Want" contain repetitive choruses that get old very quickly. As the album progresses, more of the songs start to sound the same. The choruses continue to get more repetitive and the variation on the music seems to diminish. The next-to-last track, "Repair," picks up the album a little bit, as Tony Morse's vocals nearly sound feminine akin to an '80s pop singer. The backup vocals chime in to make this a polished, sharp tune. The track "Underneath the Flames" makes for a solid closer, helping to restore some of the letdown felt during the mid-portion of the album.

© Kurt Morris /TiVo