5 out of 5

Label: Touch and Go

Produced by: Bob Weston (remastered by)

The crunchy, fuzzy recording of the first two Touch and Go GVSB releases is wholly part of their legacy – the albums, and the band’s. Though mostly established on Venus Lux, Cruise Yourself balanced out the band’s hardcore roots with loungey swagger, nailing what’s easily identifiable as the Girls Against Boys sound, which was then solidified to tape / disc / LP by Ted Niceley’s production.

That said, the “swagger” also felt like a bit of a put-on on Cruise Yourself – even more than before; it’s never been my favorite GVSB release.

Er… until now? Bob Weston’s remaster has revitalized this album for me in a way I didn’t quite think possible – maintaining the core vibe of the recording, but elevating the musicality. The drums are made more punchy; the guitar becomes a presence such that I’m hearing some touches I truly don’t recall from my many, many prior playthroughs. McCloud’s / the vocals are cleaned up a bit, which does negatively affect the high-pitched singing, I think – making it a bit sillier – and some of the tracks that benefit from the original’s “noisier” style, like My Martini, can come across with less impact. On the whole, though, I feel like I’m actually hearing all of these as songs and not just play-acting built around very catchy grooves. As such, since I generally rate remasters / remixes on how well they protect / understand the original vibe of a recording (at least as I interpret it, heh) while also providing me a new way of hearing the same, Cruise Yourself’s 2026 presentation certainly meets – and exceeds – the criteria.