American Music Club - The Golden Age [2008][EAC,log,cue. FLAC]

Artist: American Music Club
Release: The Golden Age
Discogs: 1350145
Released: 2008
Label: Cooking Vinyl
Catalog#: COOKCD440
Format: FLAC / Lossless / Log (100%) / Cue / CD
Country: Europe
Style: Rock, Folk, World, & Country,

Tracklisting:

01. All My Love
02. The Victory Choir
03. The Decibels And The Little Pills
04. The Sleeping Beauty
05. The Stars
06. All The Lost Souls Welcome You To San Francisco
07. Who You Are
08. The Windows Of The World
09. One Step Ahead
10. The Dance
11. I Know That's Not Really You
12. On My Way
13. The Grand Duchess Of San Francisco

American Music Club are a band musicians like to namecheck as influential - especially, if, like Wilco, Richmond Fontaine, or Lambchop, you lean towards a certain type of Americana that leaves out mandolins and pedal steel for well-written songs and an intelligent delivery. Mark Eitzel's battle with alcoholism has directed the path the band has taken, from California and Mercury to some of the later, less well-received discs (and the 1994 to 2004 hiatus). In truth, The Golden Age is not in the top tier of AMC albums - it recalls Bread and later Eagles as much as anything, and has an air of written-to-a-deadline about some of the songs.
The depth that Eitzel was able to bring to a lyric like Johnny Mathis's Feet is missing on this 9th album, and the overall effect is a deep, abiding snooziness - with brushed drums, synth strings and nary a memorable tune in the set, The Golden Age may recall the early 70s in feel, but not melody. Eitzel aims for wistful recollection, and mostly gets it, but there isn't much life in the album. It is nice enough, but anyone coming to AMC via this record will wonder what all the fuss was about.