Gob - Apt. 13 (Album Review)

You know, in my opinion, Gob is an underrated band. It's an opinion I believe to be true. Throughout the years the Canadian band hasn't been remembered as well as some of their American counterparts in discussions of pop/punk classics. Much like Australia's The Living End, the band just seemed to be criminally underrated. Occasionally they'll get a name drop from a current artist. Canadian pop/punkers Seaway dropped the band's name in their song "Shy Guys" recently. Plus members of the band have either played or currently play in some pretty big acts (Sum 41 & Avril Lavigne's band). Even with that it had been a while since I'd heard someone name drop Gob and it's been seven years since Gob's last studio album Muertos Vivos. The band has finally returned with Apt. 13.

I, probably like a lot of Gob listeners circa 2000-2002, was introduced to the band through Much Music and the video for "I Hear You Calling" from the band's album The World According To Gob. It's crazy to think it's been over a decade since I first saw that zombie themed video. Well it really has been that long. I've remained a casual fan of the band and was more than interested to hear this new album. The new album Apt. 13 feels like a much more grown-up refined band. That's a plus in my book. The album has the punk edge that you've come to enjoy, but it also has a lot of alternative/rock characteristics. The song "New York" is a standout song on the album and has a lot of those alternative rock elements. "Terpsichore" has some really nice back-up vocals that sort of remind me of something Beach Boys-esque with just the right amount of punk tinges. I really dig how catchy the vocals are. There are also more than a few cool noteworthy guitar parts on this album. "Nil" features a ton of really interesting guitar work.

I think this album will definitely please old school Gob fans. Yeah, the band probably hasn't chased zombies around a soccer field in a while. That still doesn't mean the songs aren't just as good if not better than those classic Gob tracks. The mixing on this is nice, it sounds really good, and it's an album that should have a ton more buzz here in the USA than it does. They know how to do this genre better than most. They've delivered a super solid batch of songs this time around.

There's no way around it; this is a pretty cool comeback album. It captures a lot of the energy I really enjoyed from this band while bringing the sound forward and offering some nice maturity to the songwriting. I really enjoy the overall vibe of the album. The band may be a little under appreciated in their respective scene, but they deserve for listeners to give this album and their back catalog listens. Gob is a really solid band that has made a really strong punk album with Apt. 13. Check it out!