Proof of Youth
by The Go! Team
  • Record Label: Sub Pop
  • Release Date: Sep 11, 2007
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. Observer Music Monthly
    100
    What lends Proof of Youth a whiff of genius is its ability to evoke exuberant innocence without making your teeth ache.
  2. MSN Consumer Guide (Robert Christgau)
    91
    Just when you're ready to give up and apply to graduate school, along comes a simple band who get everything right.
  3. Alternative Press
    90
    The Go! Team's folluow-up is densely packed enough to make Phil Spector's Wall feel like a screen door. [Oct 2007, p.160]
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  5. Slant Magazine
    90
    Every fade-in and chord change on Proof of Youth is perfectly calibrated to make for seamless song-to-song transitions and for an album that seems to end entirely too quickly.
  6. AllMusic
    80
    Proof of Youth is a pretty spectacular continuation of some of the most exciting, innovative sounds around.
  7. Drowned In Sound
    80
    Apparently, lightning does strike twice. It has for The Go! Team at any rate.
  8. musicOMH.com
    80
    Proof Of Youth does lack the immediacy that Thunder Lightning Strike possessed in spades, but that is not to its detriment. Ian Parton has done it again and made an addictive, memorable second album.
  9. Uncut
    80
    If there's a criticism, it's that this rarely expands on the ideas of their debut: shouty kiddy-rapping, Motown samples, crashing drum loops. But when a band boasts such a unique sonic palette, "more of the same" surely ranks as a compliment.
  10. PopMatters
    80
    It's hard to pick a favorite track from the album. It simply all works on Proof of Youth.
  11. Billboard
    80
    Proof draws its energy from dizzyingly tight full-band interaction, indelible melodies and deft arrangements that find fresh inspiration in Ian Parton's favorite sounds
  12. The Guardian
    80
    Proof of Youth is exhausting; otherwise its sweetness is irresistible.
  13. Boston Globe
    80
    On Proof of Youth, the samples are made-to-order--Chuck D chips in on 'Flashlight Fight,' and Brazilian artist Marina Vello shows up on the riotous 'Titanic Vandalism.' Precious else has changed.
  14. Blender
    80
    Rather than homogenizing his sources, Parton rubs them against each other. [Oct 2007, p.108]
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  15. Magnet
    80
    Ultimately, only a churlish, dead-eyed cynic would refuse to be moved by this inspired mix of riotous noise and feel-good vibetasticness. [Fall 2007, p.93]
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  16. Filter
    76
    The songs are mostly strong, but by the end, your legs stop kicking and your butt stops shaking.
  17. Stylus Magazine
    75
    Proof of Youth is a satisfying sophomore effort.
  18. The A.V. Club
    75
    Proof still offers plenty of pep, but without its predecessor's ragtag charisma.
  19. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    Youth will delight newcomers to the Team--but it's a shame the group's sound is already stuck on repeat. [21 Sep 2007, p.84]
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  20. The Boston Phoenix
    75
    His crafty postmodern bubblegum is a treat well worth chewing.
  21. Pitchfork
    72
    Proof of Youth mostly recaptures the enthusiasm and unique sensibility of "Thunder Lightning Strike," further filling that niche for lo-fi sample-based old-school-noise-rap we never knew we needed filling.
  22. BBC collective
    70
    The Go! Team are clearly committed to the lo-fi, DIY aesthetic, but with songs as strong as these it’s rather a shame they didn’t apply a little depth and finesse to their production.
  23. Rolling Stone
    70
    It's the rare band that can switch from sampled music to live with no loss in riffage as they do here, and the almost-famous names who hitch themselves to Ninja's vocals do themselves a solid.
  24. Sputnikmusic
    70
    It’s also an extremely solid record that comes highly recommended for any fan of its predecessor.
  25. New Musical Express (NME)
    70
    Unsurprisingly, the most thrilling moments are the most genre-schizo.
  26. Spin
    70
    Live instruments have replaced the samples that fueled their debut, resulting in a more fluid, if still absurdly amateurish, sound. [Oct 2007, p.104]
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  27. Dot Music
    70
    Proof Of Youth was made for rolling back the years and the rug, not chin-stroking contemplation. If shredded Axminster was The Go! Team's aim here, then mission well and truly accomplished.
  28. Hartford Courant
    70
    Proof of Youth can be awfully fun and should go over like gangbusters live, but listeners seeking depth or clarity in this hyperactive pastiche will come away disappointed
  29. Under The Radar
    70
    Although this album is certainly a continuation of the debut, especially in terms of the pushing-red production, it has enough appealing songs to keep the band in the spotlight. [Fall 2007, p.79]
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  30. Hot Press
    65
    Maybe I've become too familiar with what they’re trying to achieve--but right now there’s nothing here to make me instantly love this record.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 23
  3. Negative: 3 out of 23
  1. AGYP
    Feb 4, 2014
    7
    I actually like this movie, the only one major issue I have with it is its name. If it were up to me I would have called it "Around Great Youth Power"
  2. RogerS.
    Sep 19, 2007
    7
    I think everyone rate's The Go Team a bit too high. The only really good songs are the first and second ones. I found some of Go Team I think everyone rate's The Go Team a bit too high. The only really good songs are the first and second ones. I found some of Go Team hard to listen too. The best song was, "Doing it Right" which was very good and "Grip like a Vice". The only problem is it sounds like a Gap commercial more than a DIY thing. I suppose Proof Of Youth is like sushi an acquired taste. Go Team are still cool but this is not something everyone is going to like. It does sound a bit like LCD soundsystem or The Battles for a new generation sick and tired of rap and grunge and for that reason I liked it. Don't believe the hype. It's not very long either.… Full Review »
  3. DanB.
    Sep 19, 2007
    10
    Brilliant. This band is without peer or precedent.
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