Lost Highway this week brings forth "Another Fine Day," the first release in eight years from Golden Smog. The lauded supergroup features Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Soul Asylum's Dan Murphy, Big Star's Jody Stephens and the Jayhawks' Gary Louris, Marc Perlman and Kraig Johnson.
Again sporting separate songwriting contributions from Tweedy, Louris, Perlman, Murphy and Johnson, the band's fourth album is composed of 14 originals and a cover of the Kinks' Dave Davies' "Strangers," sung by Louris and Tweedy.
On the band's previous, Ryko-released discs, the songwriter who wrote a particular song usually sang it. But perhaps due to how "Another Fine Day" was born, it sounds like more of a band effort, and less easily divisible by songwriter/singer.
Yet there are definite specific songwriter vehicles, like Murphy's "Hurricane," which while slightly twangy is driven by his trademark, revved-up Soul Asylum riffing. The harmonica-punctuated, piano-dusted "Gone" is pure Louris. Meanwhile, "Corvette," the song that started it all, is vintage power pop, and Louris and Tweedy's "Listen Joe," is a sparse, acoustic song for a long-gone friend.
Again sporting separate songwriting contributions from Tweedy, Louris, Perlman, Murphy and Johnson, the band's fourth album is composed of 14 originals and a cover of the Kinks' Dave Davies' "Strangers," sung by Louris and Tweedy.
On the band's previous, Ryko-released discs, the songwriter who wrote a particular song usually sang it. But perhaps due to how "Another Fine Day" was born, it sounds like more of a band effort, and less easily divisible by songwriter/singer.
Yet there are definite specific songwriter vehicles, like Murphy's "Hurricane," which while slightly twangy is driven by his trademark, revved-up Soul Asylum riffing. The harmonica-punctuated, piano-dusted "Gone" is pure Louris. Meanwhile, "Corvette," the song that started it all, is vintage power pop, and Louris and Tweedy's "Listen Joe," is a sparse, acoustic song for a long-gone friend.
Up for Discussion