Go Rydell

For having formed pretty much only a year ago, Orlando, FL's Go Rydell have churned out a debut full-length that's not only seamlessly tight, but brimming with confidence and crystal-clear in its ambition. The Golden Age is a melodic hardcore call-to-arms, and with ten songs in a breakneck 15 minutes, there isn't a spare second for hesitation. Tracks like "1955" and "Last Call" evoke the same formula perfected by Kid Dynamite or, more recently, Shook Ones: scorching relentlessness mixed with leaner, fuzzed-out melodies and big, fleeting hooks. Exhibiting a killer balance of fury and excitement, Go Rydell are also adept at staying on course and maintaining personality, while lyrically they straddle the line of being appropriately cynical and endearingly reflective, such as on "Suck Brick Kid" or "A Little Too Ralph," in both shedding, but not forgetting, old skin in place of new beginnings. Go Rydell manage to sound like old pros, immediately finding their niche. The Golden Age explodes with boundless, no-bullshit energy and direction.