GOOCH PALMS - Novo's LP

First pressing (Anti-Fade)

Highly recommended.

"Debut long player after two EPs from this Newcastle duo. Frontman/guitarist Leroy Macqueen is the kooky one, apparently the type of guy who likes to get naked and wild during shows, while stand-up drummer Kat Friend plays the straight man and also contributes vocals along with the beats. Macqueen's vox contain the zaniness of Fred Schneider, a bit of Lux Interior's punkabilly yelp and he can do the white-boy soul croon too. Kat's vocals are solid female punkola, not screechy or wild but having more of a Joan Jett directness. Songwise, they do a lot of styles - early Sixities-sounding ballads ("You"), indie-garage ("We Get By", what could be the hit off this one), garage-punk stomp ("False Identity"), Crampsy muck gone pop ("A Sun, A Moon"), Ramones radio-punk ("Hungry") and more all driven by primitive drumming and with Macqueen's vocals really being the attention grabber. Reminds me of a King Khan and BBQ set-up, with traces of doo wop and Fifties sockhop moves as well, making sure the live show is a party. Your liking of this will hinge largely on your appreciation of this guy's singing. Should appeal to Burger Records fans, Nobunny devotees and other pop-minded sorts who like it a little bit weird, but in a friendly way."

Gooch Palms are definitely squatting in the same stall as their lo-fi compadrés like Nobunnz and KK + BBQ, but there does exist a definite (and extremely interesting) lean towards a more minimal new-wave/DIY songwriting aesthetic, particularly on tunes like "We Get By", "Hungry", and the title cut.

At times we're reminded of not only things like Devo, B-52's, or Romeo Void; a lil' off-kilter and raw. We can dig it! Totally out-of-print, so grip this one before "Novo's" becomes "No-Mo's"... eh? eh?...