The Go

The Go have come a long way since Jack White bailed in 1999. Howl finds them veering further from the Motor City garage rock aped on their earlier works. Muscle and fuzz boxes have been replaced with piano, clever songwriting and disciplined vocal harmonies. Opening cut "You Go Bangin' On" sounds more like Ringo Starr singing for Mungo Jerry, and "Invisible Friends" has a skip-along bubblegum bounce reminiscent of the Marbles. "Refrain" sounds like a bona-fide Badfinger outtake from the '60s. "Mary Ann" begs for accompanying German Beat-Club footage.