Gino And The Goons - Off The Rails LP

Big Neck (2019)

Whenever I see a band name that is _____ and the _____, I usually assume there's going to be some garage rock going on.  Gino And The Goods doesn't disappoint my judging of this book by its cover.  We've got ten tracks of stomping, outcast written rock and roll from these folks from Tampa.

For me personally, if you're a band dipping a toe into the garage sound pool, I like it best when you've still got the other foot firmly planted in power pop or pop punk.  My brain needs those hooks.  Gino And The Goons are ankle deep in a garage swamp, though they do cast a spare glance to some pop hooks every so often.  It kind of reminds me of a looser version of some of the songs on the first Sultans record.  Off The Rails has some similar style riffs, but everything is played with a bit more recklessness and some Marked Men-esque vocal fuzz.

I actually like this more than I thought I would the first time I listened to it.  There's the sort of energy that I like, there's enough catchy choruses to keep me engaged and they never take the slop too far and actually go off the rails.  It's a fun listen when you're looking for something brash and in your face, though it's not the sort of album that I would probably go to super frequently.

Gino And The Goons - Off The Rails:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/gino-and-the-goons-off-the-rails