Everything has a beginning, a middle, and an end – it’s the parts in between that makes things interesting. Sadly, The Wildbirds’ (né The Robins, né Number One Fan) full-length debut Golden Daze lacks the in-between.
The album kicks off with “421” – a hit that makes me feel like I’m in a hazy bar – beer in hand – in the best way possible. “Shake Shake” is fairly solid, and then things start slipping, with the biggest misstep being “It’s Alright Now”. Slower, it tries far too hard to capture the Middle-Eastern twinged psychedelia popular in the late 60s by employing vocal effects, tambourines, and a dragging tempo.
Exactly halfway through the record is another ass-kicker, “All Get Away”. Though similar to the rock revival played by The Strokes, Jet, etc., it has a decidedly Midwestern flair. Then it’s back to mediocre until the last two songs on Golden Daze.
“Please Don’t Go” takes things in a slightly different direction with twangier guitars and a chorus that has a soul-like influence to it. After the full-on assault of most of the tunes, it’s a refreshing step back. Closing the album is “Suzanna”, a nice acoustic number that is pleasing to go out on.
Though Golden Daze isn’t thrilling, it’s by no means terrible either. A lot of the songs have potential to be great live, and when The Wildbirds are hit the mark, they do it extremely well.
—
Golden Daze drops 8/17/07.
The Wildbirds are going on tour with Jesse Malin. For tour dates and more, click here.
Mixtapes|Heartbreaks 