GGOOLLDD’s sleek sound struck me back in 2014 with the great track “Younger Days“, a masterful blend of ’80s post-punk with more recent synth-pop infatuations (Frankie Rose was a good comparison at the time). The past year or so has found the Milwaukee-based group refining their sound even more, gravitating more toward the synth-pop spectrum and wonderfully dancing the fine line between ultimate radio-friendly accessibility and impressive stylistic ingenuity. Vocalist Margaret Butler is in command throughout their new EP’s 17 minutes, her impressive range and passion highlighting tracks from shimmering stunner “City Lights” to enthusiastic party-time opener “All Night”.
All four tracks on the For the Night EP are tops, though it’s particularly easy to marvel at the punchy magic of “All Night”. Synth stabs and Butler’s effect-laden vocals gently get things started, with a perfect storm of automated percussion and glitzy synths stomping forth at 00:39, topped off with a chilling guitar line. Here, Butler lightens up on the theatrics, going more for a melodically pleasing pop delivery as hinting “we could do this all night / we could this until the sunrise.” The feeling of staying out all night and relishing youth has been done before by artists like M83, but few pull it off as infectiously and genuinely as GGOOLLDD on the superb “All Night”.
