Life As Surface Noise & Goofy18 – Be Like Godzilla
“Be Like Godzilla” is a pop-punk singalong of a highly saccharine nature by Japanese artists Life As Surface Noise & Goofy18. The song seems cut from a proud tradition, represented by groups like Shonen Knife, of taking loud, scary music and injecting it with enough sweetness to put even a gigantic lizard on the road towards diabetes.
The fast-paced rhythm, clean lines, and power chord construction recommend this as a pop-punk number. The adorable vocals and kissing noises push the track deliberately into pop territory.
I admit that some of the meaning of the tune may be lost in translation, but from what my ears can gather “Be like Godzilla” could if need be, act as the punkish anthem for the world of post-COVID dating.
Good Kid – Down With The King
The trick to writing a pop hit, I’ve come to believe, is making the audience think they surely must have heard the song that you were premiering some time ago. On the one hand, yes, pop music is cynical, rehashing old ideas. On the other hand, pop is easy to predict, and therefore it feels comforting.
Good Kid’s “Down With The King” sounds like a tune you’ve heard before. It’s not necessarily one you can pinpoint towards, but the group does a good job of making a sound that could make them instant fans on the back of the fact that their work seems so familiar.
This is no small trick and not something without its merits. The indie-pop group is like a man that knows how to dress himself excellently well. Sure, there are other, even more, worthy things towards which humans can lend their attention. However, it’s an impressive feat, considering most people dress atrociously.
From the Vampire Weekend-like jumpy guitar riffs to the well-honed production, to the charismatic singing, this is an indie pop-rock hit waiting to happen. Weird enough, straight enough!
