Gameface - Four To Go

Some bands fly high; some bands sink like a rock, and some bands just hover. Like one of those “The ______s” bands that will forever be on the Warp tour year after year after year. Gameface is just such a band. After years of releases, on just as many labels, the boys decided to call it quits late last year, but not before one final siren song. Four To Go marks their first full length release with label Doghouse Records. Twelve tracks of catchy, hand clapping, punk pop fills the last effort from a band that most people have never heard of but quite a few enjoyed. The album mainly sticks to what the band does best, and that is the reason it is arguably their strongest effort but also the reason they just kind of kept their head above water. The album starts off with a couple of catchy tracks, but it isn’t until “Four Chords, Seven Years” that the album really starts to come into its own, leading into the equally strong “When You’ve Had Enough.” Vocally, both tracks will bring Better Than Ezra to mind as a reference. “Give Me Something Real”, “Stop Anytime” and “Don’t Get Me Started” continue a nice flow of songs, but the problem lies in that most of them are easily drowned out and don’t demand your attention. If you choose to really listen, you will find some catchy songs, but if you are listening while doing something else the album can quickly fly by without notice. On one hand, it is a shame to see a hard working bunch of guys finally call it quits, but on the other hand they made their fair share of music while they could, and maybe it was time to bid adieu. Better than a lot of what gets put out these days, but just not quite up to the level of great, Gameface hung around as long as it could, and gave us some decent music. Ending the album on a perfect note, “this concludes our test/give everyone our best,” this album showcases what they did best, and while it wasn’t something extraordinary, it was still worth a smile and a song. [www.gamefacefourtogo.com]