ALBUM REVIEW: Friendly Neighborhood Conspiracies – The Govt.

THE GOVT. weren’t always a genre-bending duo. Starting out as a punk rock band, the pair of vocalist and guitarist Matt Carstens and bassist Andrew Veldman went through a metamorphosis; combining infectious energy, charisma, and pop-songs-turned-rave, this dynamic sound is presented on their brilliant debut album Friendly Neighborhood Conspiracies. Comprising nine songs, each one takes you on a journey of various twists and turns. It is an album to dance to, laugh to and enjoy life to, and most importantly it is one you are unlikely to forget in a hurry.

Going Out To Stellies starts off with an infectious Britpop guitar riff and a catchy chorus. The energy of the band is infectious, and whilst it does dip a little around the midway point and the lyrics are a little repetitive, you can’t help but nod your head along to it. The final couple of minutes are taken up by an extended instrumental solo before launching into the final chorus, and what is heard so far is very impressive.

Next track Everything Means Nothing But Love is a bass-heavy rock song that starts off strong before slowing down a little during the verses, and it proves ideal in showing off the duo’s talent. Whilst the album does sometimes fall into a pattern, with slow verses and fast-paced choruses, on the positive side, this does mean that it feels consistent. And anyway, each song does have a definitive sound; whether it is the electronic rock of Devil (For Your Cold Shoulder), the fast-paced rave-esque Somebody Else 2 (Electro – Boogaloo) or the acoustic rock of J Song, the album manages to sound both cohesive and unique at the same time.

The pacing of the album is clever too. Whilst there are some fast-paced songs, such as the gorgeous indie-rock track Out In The Open – a true highlight of the album due to the beautiful lyrics – the songs in the first half are generally longer, whereas the second half is dedicated to faster and shorter tracks. It means that the pacing is not constantly switching from fast to slow or vice versa, and ultimately gives Friendly Neighborhood Conspiracies a clear structure.

Overall, this album is a unique offering that shows exactly what THE GOVT. are made of. For a debut album it is very impressive as it covers a wide range of genres and nails the overall structure really cleverly. The band have hit the ground running and they clearly have a very exciting future ahead of them.

Rating: 8/10

Friendly Neighborhood Conspiracies is set for release on February 16th via self-release.

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