Having talented friends is very rarely a drawback, and while the Gotobeds don't need much help in order to make a good album, that doesn't mean it's not good to have some likeminded pals drop by. The Gotobeds' third album, 2019's Debt Begins at 30, has a broader and more diverse sound than their previous LPs, and at least in part, that has to do with the many guests who stopped by for these sessions, including Joe Casey and Greg Ahee of Protomartyr, Tim Midyett of Silkworm and Bottomless Pit, Victoria Ruiz of Downtown Boys, Bob Weston of Shellac, and Tracy Wilson of Dahlia Seed, among others. Some bands lose focus when too many other musicians join them in the studio, but on Debt Begins at 30, the Gotobeds sound as strong and defiant as ever, as the guests reinforce what they do rather than distract from it. On their first two albums, the band sounded like an inspired amalgam of the Fall, Pavement, and early Sonic Youth filtered through the perspective of a smart but utterly unpretentious garage band, and here they've added a few more ambitious angles without spoiling the formula or losing sight of their strengths. Eli Kasan and Tom Payne are still a strapping guitar team, sharp and complementary whether there's a third player on deck or not, and bassist Gavin Jensen and drummer Cary Belback hit hard but generate a groove rather than just clamor. Debt Begins at 30 is a beautifully corrosive exercise in ominous rumble, bracing noise, switchblade guitars, and lyrics whose wit never dilutes their rancor, while the production (strong recordings full of echo and reverb mixed with an eye toward disorienting stereo placement) doesn't file down the edges but keeps them sharp enough to do the job. Apparently bad karma loves company, and the extra help in the studio has only made the Gotobeds' vision tougher and snarkier than before, and on Debt Begins at 30, that's clearly a good thing.
© Mark Deming /TiVo