Go God Go

There’s a certain quality to the dozen songs featured on Go God Go that tells you a great deal about Fred’s sunny world view. They like pop music and they like it loud and bright. And while it's comforting to hear a band whose influences range beyond UK indiedom, this record’s overabundance of sweet hooks might have some running to the dentist. To do so would be to miss out on some startlingly good music.
Fred's strongest suit is when they focus on conjuring a decent melody. Capturing frontman Joseph O’Leary at his most unkempt and engaging, ‘The Lights Are With Us’, ‘Death Song’ and ‘Keep Me Clear’ are a real treat. They also recall indie underachievers Ooberman, The Immediate and Belle And Sebastian. Better still, is the record’s out-and-out highlight ‘Just Because We Could’, a gloriously melancholic and deftly executed gospel number.
On the other hand, they may need to weed out their tendency to camp it up in their pursuit of a hit single. ‘Skyscrapers’ and ‘Good One’ are amongst the least effective tracks on here, while the band's borrowing from The Flaming Lips and Wilco won't do them any favours in the long run. But let's emphasise the positive: for its rich melodic flourishes, Go God Go is well worth investigating.

KEY TRACK: ‘JUST BECAUSE WE COULD’