Too Late...No Friends

Album Review

Too Late...No Friends is by no means a punk rock classic. But it is a wonderful introduction to the genre for 15-year-old boys who should know better. The album blasts out 20 tracks in under an hour, none breaking the three-minute mark. There's plenty of dual vocal/guitar interplay between co-frontmen Tom and Theo, liberal use of cuss words, and even a few cheekily snotty song titles ("Custard's Last 1 Nite Stand," "C********t"). Unlike the Clash or the Sex Pistols, both obvious influences, Gob is neither political nor very anti-establishment. Their agenda is delivered through anthems like "F**k Them," "A*****e T.V.," and "Leave Me Alone"; it wouldn't be surprising if a song called "Hell No, I Won't Clean My Room" was next. Their desires are also clear ("I Want You Back Baby," "You're Too Cool"). The social and cultural underpinnings that drove their sonic forebears aren't relevant to Gob, or their young fans. It's the genre's stylistic elements — transmuted through buzz-saw guitars and snide vocals — that are important. Too Late...No Friends is punk rock, squeegee'd clean.