As far as punk bands with a ska edge go,
Goldfinger
writes and performs punchy, three-minute slices of adrenaline as well as anyone, with the notable exception of
Rancid
. Of course, the whole genre is haunted by the specter of the late, great
Clash
, who did it better than anyone else. On
Stomping Ground
,
shows a little more versatility. The beginning of
"The End of the Day"
almost has a
Kinks
feel to it.
"Bro"
is
Soundgarden
-heavy.
still hasn't matched their breakthrough
"Here in My Bedroom"
from their 1996 debut, but
"I'm Down,"
"San Simeon,"
"You Think It's a Joke,"
and a cover of
Nena
's
"99 Red Balloons"
(interesting choice) highlight a fine album that's the logical next step for a still-maturing band, an adjective that doesn't often apply to a band in this genre. ~ Mark Morgenstein