Goddamnit are a punk band from Philadelphia that play noticeably raw, emotionally charged music. Which may sound familiar. It should, seeing as the city has been a hotbed for bands of a similar ilk for a while now. But given the quality of those who call the city home – Beach Slang, Modern Baseball, Paint It Black et al surely its the more, the merrier, right?
And sure enough, ‘I’ll Never Be Okay, I’ll Never Be The Same’ is the sort of album that slots perfectly into that scene, albeit maybe not in quite a fully realised form just yet. By comparison, Goddamnit are driven by a sound heavily influenced by early post-hardcore, meaning that tracks like ‘Letterbox’ or ‘Third Time’s A Charm’ are darker, looser and lacking in some of the charm of their peers.
Steady Diet Of Sugar by Goddamnit
Still, they more than make up for it with their drive and sheer bloody-mindedness. Tracks like ‘Blue Jeans’ and the definitive album standout ‘Steady Diet Of Sugar’ feel absolutely life affirming, and with big, unpolished guitars and vocals so rough and scratchy you could use them to sharpen steel, even the slightest whiff of pretension or studio wizardry is thrown completely out the window.
That’s not saying that this is a perfect album by any means – of the myriad of Philadelphian punks to choose from, Goddamnit are unlikely to be high on many people’s lists. That being said, this is a band with clear passion and gumption, the exact qualities displayed by those who came before them. And while greatness isn’t quite there just yet, expect the tipping point to come soon.
3.5/5
‘I’ll Never Be Okay, I’ll Never Be The Same’ by Goddamnit is released on 3rd March on Jump Start Records.
Goddamnit links: Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp
Words by Luke Nuttall (@nuttall_luke)
