Ever wonder what might have happened if the Beatles had decided to reinvent themselves and start a punk band? Finnish power poppers God Given Ass entertain that fantasy, presenting a classic power pop collage of ‘60s/’70s rock in Keeping Up Appearances!God Given Ass shows fun potential, but they need to move beyond retro emulation and find something distinct to explore. The vocals are low and resonant, with a sound like Kevin Seconds channeling Danzig’s baritone, and could be harnessed to dramatic effect if the band wanted to go in a heavier direction. My expectations were elevated by the glam Bowie-nod name and gender-bending cover art (which features a man in a pink apron and pink thigh high stockings reclining on a bed) and then I was handed a cheap wedding entertainer attempt at punk. “It’s Not Alright” has a nice Wipers-ish guitar sound, but at this point I also began to realize that every single song on this record is about women from a man’s perspective, either on how she’s totally missing out by not dating him or pissing him off by acting like one of the boys. That’s an element of music that doesn’t need to be revived.
–Claire Palermo (Blast Of Silence)