Goldfinger's return comes up short

From Sublime to Good Charlotte, they represent the book-ends of the past ten years in punk rock. Sublime, along with early No Doubt and Goldfinger paved the way for the likes of Good Charlotte, The Used, and Story of the Year—just a few of the current bands that are a part of the punk-rock revival topping the charts these days. While the untimely death of Sublime’s front-man Brad Nowell kept the band from meeting its full potential and the massive success of No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom (1995) propelled the band to pop-star super-fame, Goldfinger, the California four-piece, has quietly endured as a punk-rock staple for the past ten years. Goldfinger, which is John Feldman (lead singer/guitar), Kelly LeMieux (bass), Brian Arthur (guitar), and Darrin Pfeiffer (drums), will release its fifth full-length album Disconnection Notice (Maverick Records) on Feb. 15.

In conjunction with the release of Disconnection Notice, Goldfinger will take their infamous stage antics, which include lighting themselves on fire and inviting half the audience on stage to join them in a sing-along, back on the road for a month-long tour through the Northeast, Midwest, and Southwest. Goldfinger will play New York’s Irving Plaza on Feb. 15 and will appear at The Chance, in Poughkeepsie, on Feb. 21.

Most of us probably remember Goldfinger back in the day when their self-titled debut came out and “Here In Your Bedroom” was a massive hit on the radio and MTV. At best, Disconnection Notice hints as Goldfinger’s fundamental punk-rock/ska sound—the catchy horns, tickling high-hats and sexy bass-lines are scattered throughout the album. The greatest weakness of Disconnection Notice is its lyrics; some are catchy and somewhat poignant, however the majority of the lyrics are trying too hard to be emotional confessions. The album is just under 35 minutes in length and sadly “Faith,” which is the best song on the album, is also the shortest, clocking in at a whopping 2:19.

Unless you are a hard-core Goldfinger fan, Disconnection Notice is not going to be the album for you. While it’s great to see these guys are still touring and making albums, you can’t help but have a sense of nostalgia for 1996-era punk-rock revival when you hear Disconnection Notice.

—Miranda Kimball, A&E Editor

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