REVIEW: GOLDFINGER RETURNS WITH ANOTHER POP PUNK SUMMER ANTHEM, WITH HELP FROM MARK HOPPUS AND TRAVIS BARKER
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY STEWART SHORT ☆
“FREAKING OUT A BIT” REUNITES GOLDFINGER FRONTMAN JOHN FELDMANN WITH MARK HOPPUS AND TRAVIS BARKER OF BLINK-182 ON ANOTHER SUMMER ANTHEM - The single, which the band released earlier this month and debuted live last weekend at Vans Warped Tour in Long Beach, CA, exhibits a balance between nostalgic sound and maturing songwriting.
In classic pop punk fashion, the track kicks into high gear right from the start with an energetic, ear-catching riff that reminds the listener that pop punk is not a phase before the first verse even starts. Mosh-worthy power chords and propulsive rhythm from the drums and baselines imbue the verses with an air of plain fun, even when the lyrics take on a contrastingly anxious tone, a welcome dichotomy that has been a staple of much of Goldfinger’s discography and the pop punk genre more broadly.
In their respective verses, Feldmann and Hoppus are each grappling with the throes of burnout and anxiety in a manner that embraces the songwriting conventions of the genre that they helped create, while also translating them into the digital age. The two engage in poetic introspection before giving way to a contemplative pre-chorus that explodes into an anthemic declaration of distress in the chorus.
The two points of comparison that spring to mind upon initial listens are Goldfinger’s most iconic hit, “Superman,” which blended anxious introspection with the upbeat stylings of ‘90s ska-punk, and Blink-182’s 2016 album California, which saw the three artists unite, along with Matt Skiba, to create a work that similarly balanced nostalgic songwriting with the contemporary pop punk sound that Feldmann has played a major role in crafting as a producer and songwriter outside of Goldfinger. “Freaking Out A Bit” ultimately feels like a thoughtful continuation of the collaborations between the artists on California.
The song is not a sonic or thematic reinvention for Goldfinger, or the contributors from Blink-182. Rather, it offers devotees to the genre a healthily matured entry in Goldfinger’s ever-growing discography, along with the chance to punk jump around the room during the next break from doomscrolling.
