Golden Smog - Another Fine Day
Before this album came out I just knew Golden Smog as "that side project of Jeff Tweedy's." I may have heard some of their stuff but nothing really stands out in my memory. So I checked out Another Fine Day, their newest release. Golden Smog in this lineup consists of (in addition to Wilco's Jeff Tweedy) Kraig Johnson of Run Westy Run, Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum, Jody Stephens of Big Star, and Greg Louris and Marc Perlman of the Jayhawks.
From what I understand, Jeff Tweedy doesn't appear on very many songs on this album. However, it stands pretty well on its own. It starts of with "You Make It Easy," which has a nice guitar and piano that give it a '60s sound. I like the harmonies too.
"5-22-02" is probably my favorite song on the album right now. It really reminds me of My Morning Jacket. I've never really listened to the Jayhawks, so I don't really know if that's what I'm hearing, but I do like it.
There's some great acoustic guitar work on Another Fine Day, especially on "Long Time Ago" and "Listen Joe." The echoing vocals of "Listen Joe" is another reason I like the song.
Another highlight of the album is the song "Corvette." It sounds a lot like Big Star and Cheap Trick to me. It's a good '70s style rocker. In it, the band sings:
"Strangers" is a Kinks cover, and Jeff Tweedy sings on this one. His and the band's take on it really sound like it could be Wilco to me, but I guess that shows the power Tweedy holds over a band. The songs he's on in this album all have that Wilco feel, with the experimental sounds of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot sneaking in now and then.
"I Can" sounds to me like a blatant Beatles rip-off. I'm not sure that's a insult or a compliment though. Wouldn't any band want to sound somewhat like the Beatles? It's a good song either way.
Although this wasn't what I expected to hear when I put it on for the first time, it really is a nice blend of several alt country acts I like to listen to. Altogether, it gives Golden Smog a sound of its own.
For further reading:
Golden Smog's homepage
All Music Guide's Golden Smog entry
Wikipedia's Golden Smog entry
From what I understand, Jeff Tweedy doesn't appear on very many songs on this album. However, it stands pretty well on its own. It starts of with "You Make It Easy," which has a nice guitar and piano that give it a '60s sound. I like the harmonies too.
"5-22-02" is probably my favorite song on the album right now. It really reminds me of My Morning Jacket. I've never really listened to the Jayhawks, so I don't really know if that's what I'm hearing, but I do like it.
There's some great acoustic guitar work on Another Fine Day, especially on "Long Time Ago" and "Listen Joe." The echoing vocals of "Listen Joe" is another reason I like the song.
Another highlight of the album is the song "Corvette." It sounds a lot like Big Star and Cheap Trick to me. It's a good '70s style rocker. In it, the band sings:
Don't it blow your mind?I know, kind of cheesy, but it sticks in my head.
Don't it blow your mind again?
Don't it blow your mind for the third time?
"Strangers" is a Kinks cover, and Jeff Tweedy sings on this one. His and the band's take on it really sound like it could be Wilco to me, but I guess that shows the power Tweedy holds over a band. The songs he's on in this album all have that Wilco feel, with the experimental sounds of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot sneaking in now and then.
"I Can" sounds to me like a blatant Beatles rip-off. I'm not sure that's a insult or a compliment though. Wouldn't any band want to sound somewhat like the Beatles? It's a good song either way.
Although this wasn't what I expected to hear when I put it on for the first time, it really is a nice blend of several alt country acts I like to listen to. Altogether, it gives Golden Smog a sound of its own.
For further reading:
Golden Smog's homepage
All Music Guide's Golden Smog entry
Wikipedia's Golden Smog entry
Labels: Big Star, Dan Murphy, Golden Smog, Greg Louris, Jayhawks, Jeff Tweedy, Jody Stephens, Kraig Johnson, Marc Perlman, Run Westy Run, Soul Asylum, Wilco
posted by Tom at 6:31 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home