It would be easy to dismiss this band based simply on the title of their 1995 cassette, but I implore you to listen. GULLIVER opens with “I Don’t Belong To You” and those nasal vocals that defined an era of melodic punk, and then the song kicks in and you hear ’80s SoCal oozing out of the chords….and you know something is different. I hear ’77 NYC on “I Don’t Belong” and then they just settle into a groove that is, admittedly, Simple, Fast and Melodic! – it’s also a groove that is really fukkn good. “Country Man” is a would-be anthem for a generation of small town working class (pop) punk kids (they were from Barretos, the capital of Brasilian rodeo) while “Cog Of Gear” is lightning fast and conjures ROUSE vibes – hell, even the damn BEATLES cover (almost) works. None of the nine tracks touch the two minute marks while that simple, fast and melodic groove just keeps churning. These are the nuggets that will (always) keep me digging.
