Nov 3, 2022

GOALKEEPER - I Wish I Met You Sooner ALBUM REVIEW

Ryan Beebe (Singer/Bassist)

Marc Juliano (Guitarist)

Cody Ritchie (Drummer)

Pop-punk trio Goalkeeper are a band that have always been near and dear to my heart since I first caught wind of their EP “Bad Times Don’t Last”.

Hailing from Philly/NJ area and myself being from Pittsburgh, I've personally watched these guys shred on a number of occasions, ping ponging back and forth across PA, most notably the 4th annual Four Chord Music Festival. opening up for the likes of The Starting Line, State Champs and A Dangerous Summer. As well as being able to catch up with and interview these guys at this year’s Four Chord Music Festival 8.

(Check out that interview here: https://youtu.be/Vz4EevcwyuE )

The guys recently dropped their latest and first LP entitled I WISH I MET YOU SOONER out now everywhere via Lost Music Collective/ The Orchard and produced by Kevin Mahoney (Hit The Lights, Polar Bear Club) and Nik Bruzzese (The Wonder Years, Handguns, Man Overboard). The trio has three singles already under their belt from this record “Sooner”, “Car Wreck”, and “Lost Reality (ft. Nick Bruzzese) with each one giving off its own radiant glow of pop-punk.

I WISH I MET YOU SOONER kicks off with their first single “Car Wreck” and boy does it hit you as hard as one. The track is upbeat and punchy, the perfect jumping point for the album. “Sooner”, the second single the trio released fades in next and is by far in my opinion the catchiest track on the album and my favorite. It hits in all of the right places for anyone who’s a fan of nostalgic early 2000’s pop-punk, but who am I kidding the entire album seems to do that.

Don’t get me wrong with all of the nostalgic pop-punk feels of this album it doesn’t feel dated or dull in the least. It combines the old with the new plus Goalkeeper has a way of blending the two with their own diverse sound. Songs like “Former Lives” and “Talk About” are straight forward pop-punk songs musically but the lyrics get you immersed in the story while tracks like “Lost Reality” and “Truth In Frame” have a more modern rock feel with a lot of pop influences with flanged drums, stop breaks, killer harmonies and guest vocals on “Lost Reality” by producer Nik Bruzzese.. Tracks like ”I’ll Go With You”, “Half in Half Out”, and “Focus” have all out mid 2000’s pop-punk vibes reminiscent of blink-182’s self-titled album and early Paramore before they got all electronic.

I believe that every great album needs a slow song and a pallet cleanser, as in a track that catches you off guard and might be something a little more experimental than what you’re used to from the band, and the track “Notice Me” beautifully incapsulates both ballad and pallet cleanser all in one. It’s slower and filled with synth and electronic drums but still feels like a pop-punk track, but more modern, like if Post Malone wrote pop-punk music in the best way possible. It’s easily one of my favorite tracks on this album because it feels out of place but fits perfectly.

I WISH I MET YOU SOONER is out now everywhere via Lost Music Collective/ The Orchard.

You can check out Goalkeeper in any of the links below. Check out their latest single “Lost Reality” as well as upcoming tour dates below!