Whilst the first track from this album did not make mejump about like a flea on speed, by the second track, Magic Potion, I was quite enjoying this album. This is not an album to set hearts on souls aflame, but it is a perfectly listenable CD full of pretty harmonies and lilting vocals.
With the addition of some 70s funky keyboards, and a band who are clearly striving to produce beautiful vocals, this is an album that sounds like Ocean Colour Scene from the Flower Power age. American West Psychedelia mixed with 90s bands such as The Charlatans and Inspiral Carpets influence The Goldenhour. The music is light pop funk and it’s airy feel lends itself well to any chill out zone in a club or late night after club café.
This Glasgow-based 5 piece have never quite made it to “known” status, but their refusal to conform is admirable. They play what they play and are not trying to fit into a pre-conceived idea of what sound and look sells. I can imagine that this is a band who would be enjoyable live, in a small (now not smoky) basement of a trendy wine bar. Music that will not intrude into conversation but would enhance the enjoyment of the night. A mix of guitar riffs, and beautiful acoustic songs, this album is a bit of a slow burner.
Certainly some of the poppier tracks such as the last and title track of the album, Always In The Now, are strong. The psychedelic keyboard that twists and meanders throughout the album makes this album a little more interesting than it would otherwise have been, and the vocals are generally just the right mix of breathy without being weak. However, there is something that is missing here. This is a band who are not unpleasant to listen to and at times, the tracks are beautiful, but there is something missing.
The Goldenhour sing about Magic Potion (one of the best tracks on the album) but maybe that is what they are missing – the touch of magic that pushes a band from being OK, to having that “wow” factor. A part of a band that cannot be explained but a listener knows when they hear it. This is a perfectly reasonable album, but it is one that will be lost to mediocrity, and that in itself is a bad thing. Be good, be bad, but be something memorable. The Goldenhour certainly try hard, but it is not enough. I think this is a band I would rather hear live than listen to on CD, and I would see them live in the right venue.
The Goldenhour are signed to Neon Tetra Records and the album is readily available now. More information about the abnd can be found on their official website at
www.thegoldenhour.info and tracks can be heard on their MySpace site at
www.myspace.com/thegoldenhour The band currently have no tour upcoming but this is a band I will look out for when they next tour as I think they would be more interesting live than on CD.
