Chasing Amy The aptly titled ninth studio album from ska-punk legends, Goldfinger, features a litany of guest spots and a recharged, yet reflective sound from the band that is releasing their first taste of new music since 2020. Nine Lives was produced by band leader and scene stalwart, John Feldmann, who rounds out this era of Goldfinger with a powerhouse lineup of Charlie Paulson (guitar), Mike Herrera (bass), Nick Gross (drums), and Moon Valjean (guitar). The set was preceded by two great singles in “Freaking Out A Bit”, that featured Mark Hoppus, and “Chasing Amy.” The result is a pleasing collection of songs that showcase Goldfinger show little signs of slowing down and hit the listener with a blast of Summer vibes.
On the opening track of “Chasing Amy”, Feldmann begins with, “Amy, got so much history, and I could not erase you / Met you at the campfire, when the drugs were kicking in / Seems like a million years ago / Just like two vampires, we were running from the sun / We lost our minds, but made it home / Four years, three months, and twenty-one days ago / Who’s counting?” as he recalls a picturesque evening over some speedy punk rock riffing. As the song unfolds, Goldfinger rally around the lead singer and have a tight musical chemistry playing together. “Freaking Out A Bit” features some great back and forth vocals between Hoppus and Feldmann, and when the two vocalists harmonize, it’s pure pop-punk bliss.
The bass-heavy “Last One Standing” features a cameo from Jim of Pennywise and has a hard-nosed approach to the song and lyrics that lean into the concept of being one of the biggest legends in the ska-punk scene and still doing the damn thing today. It’s a commendable concept, especially when the tunes are consistently as good as they are here. “Derelict” features Spencer Charnas from Ice Nine Kills, and the speedy punk rocker of a song hits its spots and still leaves room for Feldmann to navigate the space around the musical landscape. The song evokes the right emotions through Charnas’ late screams in the closing moments of the track, and helps with the variety found on Nine Lives.
”Lie In Bed” recalls the simpler times of spending time with the one person who makes us feel whole, while “Loser” rounds out the front half of the record with some self-deprecating humor from Feldmann. The ballad of “Untouchable” features a rapped section by Iann Dior that works out pretty well in the sequencing of the LP and overall theme of feeling rejuvenated and getting another chance at living life to the fullest. “John Lennon” begins with an orchestral section before Feldmann’s vocals cut into the acoustic-guitar driven song with precision from the veteran songwriter. As Feldmann ponders, “What were you like when you were high?” with starry-eyed vision for his music, it’s refreshing to hear him still continue to follow his dream to this day.
”Dynamite” is a pretty standard pop-punk song that has Feldmann admitting that “Fear is my dynamite,” while “Killswitch” is a mid-tempo, crunchy guitar riffing track that finds the frontman grappling his own mortality. “The Punisher” features El Hefe of NOFX and is a jangly acoustic guitar song that features some banjo and some great harmonized vocals. “College” closes out the Nine Lives album and is a tender ballad about dropping his kid off at school to start their new life, while still offering guidance and advice as a dad. Being a dad is a lifetime commitment, and Feldmann puts his kid’s worries to ease by letting them know he’ll always be there for them. And I can’t help but think the song is also a way for Feldmann to reassure himself that this emotional moment is going to be okay for him as well.
For a record that starts out pretty aggressively, Nine Lives has a fair amount of reflection, ballads, and mid-tempo parts to it that are a bit of a departure from the sound Goldfinger went for on 2020’s Never Look Back. Given the amount of time that John Feldmann has spent with the Goldfinger project, it’s 100% appropriate for him to take a look back and marvel in all he’s accomplished both professionally and personally. Nine Lives tugs on the heartstrings and still leaves the listener with a solid collection of songs worthy of the Goldfinger legacy.