Atmospheric Alt-country with infectious melodies, earnest lyrics and lush steel guitar
5
By SF Reviewer
Fans of My Morning Jacket, Neil Young, and other atmospheric alt-country acts will love the newest album to come from this San Francisco indie band. The sophomore release takes their music to the next level mixing infectious melodies with earnest lyrics and lush steel guitar. The new sound is not only unique, but quite endearing. An Americana backdrop is layered with an analogue palate, adding just enough sonic icing to the cake without distracting from the songs themselves. The album opener, "Stealing Hours", is energetic yet down-home. Acoustic guitars juxtapose horn hooks and frenzied guitar dynamics. The sweet nostalgia and soft-pulsing rhythm of "Let It Go" recalls Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire." "Lodestar" falsettos with Neil Young delicacy, adding a distinct syncopation and warm Moog. "Ocean Beach" and "Sideways" give a melancholic nod to the pysch-folk of M. Ward and Sun Kil Moon. While "Thousand Miles" starts like an indie take on Mississippi John Hurt, it slowly crescendo's into an epic garage-rock opus. Rockers "Annie…" and "North Coast" are cut straight from the Rolling Stones/Gram Parsons country-rock cloth. "Catching Leaves" rides a wave of surf guitar, picking its way through a Mariachi-style instrumental a la Calexico until finally landing in a psychedelic pool, evoking My Morning Jacket without all the reverb. "Welcome Home" is a giant step from Pirate Radio’s previous stripped-down country garage-rock to a more diverse atmosphere filled with superb songwriting. (Note: Their first album was self-titled and other Pirate Radio albums seen here on Itunes are actually different bands with the same name).
