Goldfinger: Stomping Ground

Goldfinger's new single, "Counting The Days," is an arena-sized pop-punk anthem that's so chant-along catchy, it can't help but prolong the group's stay in the nation's limited pop-cultural memory banks. It's also a marvelous illustration of how little it takes to restore fleeting success: There's nothing flashy or spectacular about the L.A. band, which rose to prominence on the coattails of Green Day with the single "Here In Your Bedroom," but those three and a half minutes are undeniable. But, with the exception of the dutifully hooky "San Simeon," the remainder of the new Stomping Ground doesn't seem nearly as assured of momentary success: There's a lot of scattershot trend-surfing, with tiresome, thuggish new-metal ("Bro") vying for attention with an even-more-tiresome obligatory kitsch cover ("99 Red Balloons"). Singer John Feldmann again finds himself emulating the vocal mannerisms of Ned's Atomic Dustbin's Jonn Penney—particularly on "Pick A Fight" and the catchy "Carry On"—but, otherwise, there isn't much of note here. With a single as strong as "Counting The Days," there doesn't really need to be, especially in this day and age. Too bad Goldfinger figured that out, too.