With their debut full-length, Borders, Guelph’s Green Go pops out of the basement jam sessions and into the big leagues. Full of sass, vigour, and attitude, these Ontario neighbourhood punks are through harassing old people (maybe) and have poured their fortitude and bluster into eleven bouncy, rambunctious tracks.

Of course, this is no ordinary accumulation of dance pop done up with doses of indie rock. Part of what makes Green Go’s magic work so well is the unexpectedly warm harmonies from front team Ferenc Stenton and Jessica Tollefsen. The two ex-conservatory pianists know their stuff, unleashing vocal commands that tell the listener to dance, dance, dance some more.

With Kyle Squance, Mark Andrade, and Adam Scott rounding out the quintet, Green Go is ready to conquer.

There is a rather soft balance within these Borders, as the band strikes up the burning barking of orders on tunes like “Put Your Specs on Boy” only to slip into a spacey unrestricted jam with “Set Me Free.” It seems as though Green Go can tread these waters easily and that is a remarkable thing.

It becomes all the more remarkable once one realizes just how hard and fast some of these tunes rock.

The uncultivated anthemic draw of “Brains for Breakfast” strikes an appealing tone, calling up notes of Montreal’s Arcade Fire with a flashy electro edge. The vocals, sung in unison, are charming and rich.

“Cash Money Gremlins” is a swirling number with cheerfully bratty lyrics. “We want the money or it’s your ass, give us give us money when we ask,” Stenton and Tollefsen command. With the fascinating retro feel of the keys and beats, it takes a lot of resistance not to fork over the dough immediately.

Album closer “Danger Bay” proves just how funky Green Go can get, unleashing a scorching groove with engaging atmospherics and even more of those wonderful vocal harmonies.

With a record deal with Pheromone Recordings and a hot set of remixes in Green Go Remix Project Vol. 1, it’s safe to say that things continue to blast off in the right direction for these kids. Borders is a hell of a lot of fun, offering tonnes of feverish energy and broad arrangements. Expect to hear an awful lot more from these Guelph punks in the months to come.

Article Author: Jordan Richardson

Jordan Richardson is a Canadian freelance writer and maple syrup enthusiast. His film reviews can be found at the Canadian Cinephile's Reviews and his music reviews are located at the Canadian Audiophile's Reviews and News. Mr. …

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