Rough around the edges, old-school punk rock is something Thumper Punk Records is becoming known for, and A Common Goal, make a nice addition to this label. Going a bit against the West Coast vibe that Thumper Punk has in a fair number of their bands, A Common Goal hails from Boston, MA. Formed in 2009, A Common Goal plays simple straightforward old school punk with a sound very reminiscent of Social Distortion.
Catchy songs, with some great sing-along parts and sincere, heart-felt lyrics about the everyday struggles we all face, characterize the songs on this ep. Production quality is a little rough but overall good and fits with the music and feel of the release. Several of the songs do seem to be very similar, just differentiated by some tempo changes, but the gruff, gritty vocals by Mike May do a good job in hiding that and keeping the listener interested.
For God and Country starts out with a sample from a patriotic speech and jumps right into “The Cavalry”, a song that draws on some military imagery describing standing together, “God knows our hearts, we fight for what is right…” Later on the ep is the song “Freedom Fighter” which describes the life and struggles of our soldiers and serves as a tribute to their sacrifice, “Raise a flag for our soldiers, for God and country, there’s a lot on their shoulders, they die for you and me”. Unfortunately, here in the US, we need reminders like these. Regardless of how one feels about the politics involved, we have young men and women putting their lives on hold and on the line and they deserve our respect.
Spirit-filled blue collar punk rock is how A Common Goal describe themselves as a band and that really shows through in their lyrics. I really appreciate their approach in their lyrics, as they are very no-nonsense, to the point, and not candy-coating anything lyrically, “So pull up a chair and pour another shot, tell me what’s on your mind…We’ll open the Bible and read what’s inside, we all need Christ in our lives” (from “Lessons”). This is what I expect from a punk band; gritty, rough, and not so pretty, just like the real world out there.
The band is finishing up recording their first full-length for Thumper Punk and based on this ep, expectations will be very high. The band has released a video for their first single off the new record as well, “Blessings and Battles” and based on that, the full length should be one to check out. In the meantime, For God and Country serves as a great introduction to A Common Goal .
Rating: 8/10
Written by John Jackson
Tracklist:
1. The Cavalry
2. Lessons
3. Drag You Down
4. Freedom Fighter
5. Life
Band members:
Mike May – Guitar/Lead Vox
Scott Grenon- Guitar/ Vox
Brett D. Ennis- Bass
Jason Autrey- Drums/Vox
Record Label: Thumper Punk Records, Dec. 2012
Video below for “Blessings and Battles” off their upcoming full-length: