Hello Destiny Review

Release Date: Apr 22, 2008
Label: Side One Dummy
Genres: Alternative Pop/ Rock, Ska-Punk, Punk-Pop
Number Of Tracks: 12
Sixth album Hello Destiny sees the renowned punk/ ska band Goldfinger return to their roots.

Sound:	8
Lyrics:	7.5
Impression:	8
Overall rating:	7.8
Users rating:	9.2
Comments:	27

overall: 8.7

Featured review by: UG Team, on may 16, 2008

Sound: Sixth album Hello Destiny sees the renowned Punk/ Ska band Goldfinger reunited with their original guitarist Charlie Paulson. Free from the ties that bonded them to their major label, Goldfinger joined forces with SideOneDummy to oversee the release of a record in which they promised a return to their roots. This is just as well since previous record Disconnection Notice was not what fans would call ‘up to standard’. Luckily enough, Hello Destiny hits all the right marks as John Feldmann and Co. deliver their promise in true Goldfinger spirit.

Hello Destiny starts off far stronger than any previous Goldfinger record. Premiere track ‘One More Time’ sounds less polished in terms of production than songs like ‘Too Many Nights’ or ‘I Want’ from preceding record Disconnection Notice. The guitars sound grainer and punkier, and complete with John Feldmann’s signature pop hooks and vocals you have the perfect Goldfinger song. Second track ‘Get Up’ is laced with Ska riffs and horns. It brings back memories of fan favourites ‘Superman’ or ‘Here In Your Bedroom’. Fifth track ‘The Only One’ is a full blown reggae track. Even though it slows the tempo and speed of the album as a whole, it maintains interest. The horns and Ska riffs throughout the song reminisce of Reel Big Fish at their peak. The next song ‘War’ is one of the strongest tracks on the album. It has great guitars that come close to sounding somewhat like the style of Quinn Allman’s from The Used and has the overall feel of a Mest track pre-Photographs era. With ninth track ‘Not Amused’, fans are treated to a quick paced punk song that has hints of Rancid or Bad Religion in it. It even has a decent punk solo in it courtesy of Charlie Paulson. The only track which doesn’t really co-exist well with the rest of the songs is ‘Handjobs For Jesus’. With Bert McCracken lending his signature screams and a gospel choir ending, you’re likely to shit your pants out of confusion. It does keep interest though, and in that respect it is successful. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics on the album cover a wide range of topics from questioning religion (Handjobs For Jesus) to the conventional topic of love (The Only One) to freeing an activist (Free Kevin Kjonaas). The lyrics are good in the traditional sense of describing the vision or the message of the song well. It doesn’t take you time to decode and think about what the lyrics mean, and in that sense they are a joy to listen to. People may instantly think that because of the genre Goldfinger find themselves placed in, the lyrics are going to be filled with rash lyrics and soggy rhyme schemes. This, I can gladly say, is not the case. Some of the content may not be groundbreaking, but the way Feldmann writes about them is thought worthy and appealing. For example on ‘Not Amused’, which is a track about being skeptic towards things you see and hear, Feldmann sings: “We are not amused; We don’t believe the evening news; We’re not entertained by the brain of the spoiled and confused; And we are not amused”. In track ‘Goodbye’, a dark song about suicide, Feldmann’s originality again adds attractiveness to the song: “I can’t stop the war; I can’t stop my death from happening; And my head’s a morgue; I can’t stop the worms from tunneling; Once they begin”. // 8

Impression: Right from the start when you hear Feldmann’s voice sing “Everyday is just the same…” before the guitars, bass, and drums kick in on opening track One More Time, you instantly know that Goldfinger are back as good as ever. The elements of desire, passion, and punk in those 5 words instantly tell you that Hello Destiny is going to be different to Disconnection Notice. The songs on the album go from strength to strength. From the slightly heavier song of Handjobs For Jesus, to the upbeat Ska of Get Up, to the sweet heartfelt acoustics of the bonus track Julian, this is an album that will be up there with the best of the Goldfingers records. Like having sex for the first time, it will be remembered. // 9

overall: 7

Reviewed by: DisgruntledDuck, on august 02, 2008

Sound: Destiny: “The predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events.” Hello Destiny is the somewhat enigmatic title of Goldfinger’s sixth major studio album. Having sat down with this album and given it repeated listens, I’m still not entirely sure what the title really means. The question I want to attempt to answer is simply this: what is the destiny of this once championed pop-punk band? For Goldfinger fans, Hello Destiny is meant to be their beloved band’s inevitable return to form. Surely it isn’t possible for frontman John Feldman to produce another album lacking conviction, inspiration and purpose (2005’s Disconnection Notice), particularly given the return of old guitarist Charlie “it looks like a tube of cookie dough!” Paulson. // 7

Lyrics and Singing: With the return of Paulson brings a return of the third wave ska sound that Goldfinger helped to popularise in 1996 (a.k.a The Summer of Ska) and subsequently abandon some two years later. Was it fated for Charlie to return and help bring ska to another generation of young music fans? Not quite. There are only two sublime tastes of ska in this album which show Goldfinger at their simple best. The first is the punk, tinged “Get Up”, a ska-punk number in the style of Goldfinger classic “Answers.” The music is fantastic and played at an urgent pace. Unfortunately John Feldman cannot help but inject some of his political ideology in this song as he encourages his young charges to become active in the fight for animal rights. It certainly seems destined that anyone who wants to listen to Goldfinger for a light listen is going to have to learn to put up with the self-righteous PETA-driven politics that first surfaced in 2002 album Open Your Eyes. The other ska song on this album is “The Only One”, a slow calypso style ska song that showcases the singing ability of the band’s guitarists. This song is essential summer listening.

As for the rest of the album, the songs are very much hit and miss. The first half of the album sees a definite return to form for Goldfinger, whereas the second half sees a definite decline in quality. Album opener “One More Time” is a blast from Goldfinger’s past as the title suggests, with the band playing some of their vintage bouncy pop-punk that they perfected on Stomping Ground. Another track, “Goodbye”, shows Goldfinger at their hooky best, with an up-tempo number that gallops in the verses and gives us a catchy chorus that would not have been out of place in Open Your Eyes. As the album progresses, however, we only hear the band flirt briefly with any sort of form or quality. The oddly titled “Handjobs For Jesus”, for example, shows the band attempting to escape their pop-punk destiny and sees the band experimenting with scream and even a country/western sound. It is ambitious, but the song loses punch being one minute and two genre fusions too many. “Not Amused” is a feeble attempt at imitation punk-rock with a half-hearted attack on the media. There is nothing wrong with scrutinising our media – Bad Religion are still asking vital questions – but you get the impression that if the media were praising PETA more that Mr Feldman would be much less inclined to want to speak out. “Bury Me” and “War” typify the second half of the album; it's choruses are two of the catchiest moments that this album has to offer us, but the rest of the songs lack any sort of punch. // 7

Impression: What Goldfinger have offered us, effectively, is a sort of greatest-hits album which contains entirely new material. We hear elements of all of their albums so far fused together in an attempt to create something that pleases everyone; old fans are meant to be satisfied by the return of the old sound, whereas new fans and I’d argue the band itself should be kept content by the new musical direction that the band have been trying to go in for the past five years. Unfortunately this does not quite work. The album has some great moments, but these moments happen all too quickly. By the time you have eaten your steak, you’re left with mountains of salad that you know won’t quite hit the spot. Perhaps this is the destiny of the band: to be a band that always promises to deliver but falls at the final hurdle; a band who were once essential pop-punk listening alongside bands such as Bad Religion and The Vandals who are now looking suspiciously old in a youthful crowd that includes bands such as The Used and Fall Out Boy. Best songs: Get Up, Goodbye, The Only One. // 7

Comments

[jimmy, the one]

who doesn't like a bit of ska

[SkAsupafly]

jimmy, the one wrote:

who doesn't like a bit of ska

lots of people hate ska

[pob-pnuk]

SkAsupafly wrote:

jimmy, the one wrote:

who doesn't like a bit of ska

lots of people hate ska

well i love ska =D
and this album isnt that ska-y anyway

[jimmyhotpants]

SkAsupafly wrote:

jimmy, the one wrote:

who doesn't like a bit of ska

lots of people hate ska

yeah but they suck cocks so disregard them

ska is brilliant!
little bit of ska

[beno99]

Ska is awesome, I love Goldfinger!

[CrowLord]

This album is the only one i have by them, but it sure is fantastic

Get Up is an amazing song

Did you know that Ian Watkins of lostprophets fame guested on the track 'War'?

[sk8_punk_Trev]

mighty mighty bosstones r beter, but i like their old stuff.

[sk8_punk_Trev]

hopes its as good as, oh say, hang ups.

[Laslow]

i never understaood what was wrong with disonnection notice...sure this is a great album, but so was disconnection notice...

i don't get it

[dannyisokay]

this album is damn terrible. Hang Ups had some really good songs, but this is just terrible. I streamed it on their myspace, and it's like they don't even care about writing good songs.

Yeah and "a bit of ska" doesn't quite describe it. I heard maybe one ska song when listening to it, and it wasn't even good.

[marshmellow666]

woo! hang ups!!!

[FooFighter1927]

this album is decent. in my opinion, their best albums were hang ups and stomping ground. the song bro is great.

[nicktuckerrr]

SOMEONE TAB WAR!!

[frottage]

meh, i don't really like Goldfinger. or ska.

[identityxcrysis]

sk8_punk_Trev wrote:

hopes its as good as, oh say, hang ups.

Nothing is as good as Hang Ups.

[Laslow]

frottage wrote:

meh, i don't really like Goldfinger. or ska.

why even look at this article if all you're gonna say is that you don't like them or their music?

[davo101]

they are gods

[Gibjian]

i didnt know they were still together. but cool, there pretty good

[MX4Life]

this album is mediocre at best, but it is hundreds, thousands, millions of times better than disconnection notice.

i'll always love goldfinger, in any case. disconnection notice should be erased from the face of the earth.

[Hondo2112]

downhill since 99 red balloons

[mdr9inchnails]

this is a great goldfinger album, almost every track is catchy.

and this album really isn't very ska-like, it's more blink 182-like than anything.

[smalRaptor]

Lots of people hate everything. The thing is, if you can't appreciate more than one genre of music and spend your time trolling forums, you can't really call yourself a musician.

[rebelmidget]

very very good album, 2nd only to hangups

[tremeloud]

Ska seriously has to be one of the most honest genres of music. It never feels forced and always seems to reflect the people making the music.

[kjlee2112]

i just, generally, hate horns with guitars. like nails on a chalkboard. for me, it's tough to make sound good. GF is one of the only bands than can do it and not make me want to throw my radio out the window.

[SkAsupafly]

i heard "war" today in hot topic... it was dissappointing... GF hasn't released a song I enjoy since superman

[_RATM_]

really? i think war is the catchiest of this new cd...