Goalkeeper – ‘Bad Times Don’t Last’

There aren’t a whole lot of things I am crazy about in Philadelphia. The sports fans are miserable and hard to talk to (for good reason?), the traffic is out of control, and contrary to what the boys in Goalkeeper will tell you, Sheetz is MUCH better than Wawa. But for all of the indifferent feelings I have towards the “city of brotherly love” one thing I am all about is up-and-coming pop punk band, Goalkeeper. I was fortunate enough to share the stage with these gentlemen a few months ago and I was impressed with what I saw in their set. After hearing an early release of their new EP Bad Times Don’t Last, my admiration has surely grown.

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The album starts out with “Sunshine”, reflecting a classic pop punk, Blink 182 feel and really sets the tone for the EP. I hear so much of the classic Blink influence in this track, from the solid bass work to the short, but engaging guitar solo. I had the opportunity to see Goalkeeper play this song live at the Four Chord Music Festival Pre-Show and it blew me away. It’s sure to be a crowd favorite.

“Chances” is the next track on the album. It has a more driving progressive feel to it- the melody is catchy and the drum fills are well placed. The breakdown of this song is really the highlight- with a transition into a clean guitar line and vocals into a slow melody that explodes back into the driving refrain.

The third track on the EP is “Left Lane”. The song starts off with a cool a capella feel and then turns into a groovy, driving punk song. I really enjoyed the transition to the chorus that has a cool instrumental callback. The breakdown of this song goes a capella again and comes back with a heavier feel for the final chorus.

“Lately” is a solid acoustic track and fits in perfectly as a transition to the end of the EP. The back up vocals are what really pull me in to this track- it’s easy to imagine the song getting the “sing along” treatment at a live show.

The final track on the EP, “Nothing At All”, is my favorite track on the release. It is an uptempo punk ballad with a heavy drive that pushes forward from beginning to end. The guitar work is flawless and the runs behind the lyrics on the chorus add a dimension to the song that is different from the rest of the album. The breakdown is on the heavy side, another departure from the rest of the record, and transitions smoothly back into the last hook. When the song drops off and the album is over, it definitely leaves me wanting more!

Make sure you check out the new EP from Goalkeeper, recorded/produced by Rick King of King Sound Studio, available this Friday November 16!

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