Pop-punk band Goldfinger are back with a new album titled The Knife, and it’s a fairly enjoyable listen.

By Jane Howkins

The band have been more pop than punk of late, and that’s still true here, but if you can put that aside and listen to the album objectively, then you’ll find this far more enjoyable than you might otherwise.

That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of fast riffs and ska rhythms on display here, and that side of Goldfinger’s signature sound is still very much present (so don’t worry!), however it is important to note that they have strayed a little more towards the poppy side of things. First track A Million Miles kicks things off with a fast, punky riff, sounding like the sort of track that could have been on their first album. Tijuana Sunrise is more of a typical third wave ska track, and mixes poppy hooks with a refreshed reggae sound, providing the perfect song for Summer.

Another enjoyable tune is Am I Deaf, which sees frontman John Feldmann questioning modern music. It’s a great track, and was actually released a few years ago, but we do find the song content slightly ironic, considering that Feldmann has written a lot of songs himself for modern pop acts, including the likes of Five Seconds of Summer. Perhaps he’s making a dig at this, but in all honesty Feldmann is a great pop writer, and so really shouldn’t be so hard on himself.

Should fans come into this expecting only a great pop album, they will find themselves feeling pleasantly surprised.