Passion Before Function

Album Review

Many, if not most indie rock bands make records that seem intended to keep them in the status of cult favorites, boasting muddy mixes of atonal music with inaudible vocals and obscure lyrics. Not New York's GoStation, however. This is a band that, on its debut album, Passion Before Function, comes out grabbing for the gold ring. Lead guitarist Matt Friedlander plays stirring lines backed by rhythm guitarist Erik Nyquist, over the pounding rhythm section of bassist Nick Picozzi and drummer Justin Aaronson, all in support of the soaring lead vocals of Doug Levy on tracks clearly influenced by '80s rock stars U2 and R.E.M. It is easy to imagine these anthemic songs being played in a stadium rather than in a tiny club. The only possible fly in the ointment is the lyrics, which Levy clearly articulates and which are printed in the CD booklet. Four ("All Together Now," "Twin Six," "C'mon," and "Next in Line") are penned by Friedlander, and the other six ("Not Enough," "Down Street," "Battle Lines," "The Way of the World," "Common Ground," and "When I'm Gone") are by Levy, but most manage to combine being cliché-ridden with being somewhat opaque. You can usually see what the writer is getting at, whether in the fraternal support expressed in "All Together Now" and "C'mon," the put-downs of "Next in Line," or the romantic remorse of "When I'm Gone." But neither Levy nor Friedlander is up there with Bono or Michael Stipe in matching inspiring words to the moving music. Musically, the GoStation is ready to join the Killers in taking the next step to world domination. (Major labels: take note.) They just need to write simpler and more direct lyrics.