Atlanta’s pop-rock master Paul Melançon (pronounced MEL-an-sun) and his New Insecurities have released The Get Gos Action Hour! and it couldn’t have arrived at a 
better time for music lovers. Someday soon you will look back on April of 2020 and recall the wrath of the COVID-19 virus and memories of sheltering in place. Because of this, musical artists have hit a brick wall as far as live performances go. Thanks to modern technology and dedicated fans, many artists are performing via the internet for tips. Others continue to release new music. Now is the time to support musicians and help them survive this stagnant era.
Subtitled, “A Power-Popera,” the selected songs on Get Gos form a concept album, of sorts, and encompasses virtually every musical galaxy within reach. The first track sets the stage with the 40-second “Theme from The Get Gos Action Hour!” as an intro to Melançon’s newest persona. Observing the Melançon-created cover art may cause you to imagine a 70s cartoon crew has recorded an album in the 21st century (is that Shaggy on drums?). But there is nothing cartoonish about this new release.
“Permanent Makeup,” “Robot World,” and the first single, “Hyperventilate” are each near-perfect pop songs. These tunes are difficult to ignore and even harder not to love. The wonderful “The New Decay” evolves into a Beatlesque jam while prescribing to listeners, “Dance the dance of the dissimulation / Take a step up and then astray / Then take a look at the barest of tracings of the shape of the new decay.” If you listen closely, you’ll hear snippets of the five previous songs mixed in here. Speaking of jams, the epic, four-part “Mareación” comes in at just over 11 minutes and may take you places you’ve never been…and it’s still too short.
The strangely intriguing “Fitzgarraldo” taps into the real-life story and Werner Herzog film of a rubber baron forced to transport his steamship over a Peruvian mountain from one river to another. Melançon aptly couples his journey through depression with the century-old feat.
The closing track is the uplifting “The Answer is Yes,” with Melançon’s vocals layered and complemented by a chorus, while the subject matter deals with other not-so-happy issues: “Fear the things you can never know / Wear the worry til the pockets show / Set the timer and never go / Here in a world completely built on no.” This darkness is soon overpowered by the revelation that cynicism never creates anything and creation requires saying “yes.”
So, as we move toward a coronavirus-free world, let’s keep our friends in mind; those who routinely provide joy and happiness in our lives, without whom this existence would be a lot duller. Listen and purchase The Get Gos Action Hour! here Listen/Buy for a measly seven bucks…but you can pay more if you love music! You can also stopover on Melançon’s Facebook or Twitter pages for updates.
