Golden Smog - Another Fine Day

Dubbed a supergroup due to the success and stature each of its members have earned with their full-time projects, Golden Smog has managed to remain relatively free of the bluster and hype normally associated with such collectives. Examining the band’s makeup and approach to their partnership gives insight into their ability to collaborate without needless pretension. Having seen members come and go over the life of the band, Golden Smog’s current lineup features components of Wilco (Jeff Tweedy), Soul Asylum (Dan Murphy), The Jayhawks (Gary Louris and Marc Perlman) and Run Westy Run (Kraig Jarret Johnson). Fortunately for the nature of the project, each of the group’s members comes from critically recognized Midwestern bands, their own music devoid of raging bravado or fashionable gimmick. The accomplishment of these musicians also allows the group to refrain from taking Golden Smog too seriously. The band exhibits a playful attitude without appearing careless or lazy. As such, the group’s fourth project is a loose assembly of well-written songs that often bear little resemblance to each other. Tweedy may be the band’s marquee personality but on Another Fine Day, Golden Smog’s other members get the lion share of the spotlight. Each performer lends a distinctive voice and style to the songs they front. Johnson’s tracks tend to gravitate towards retro-styled, Beatlesque pop, Murphy’s leads are more patently rock and roll (with the exception of the sublime, horn-saturated “Never Felt Before”) while Louris bridges the gap between straightforward pop/rock and more experimental stylings. Though Tweedy co-wrote just two tracks, “Long Time Ago”, his uncharacteristically sentimental collaboration with Louris, is one of the album’s highlights. Though the transitioning between styles gets a bit wearisome after fifteen tracks, Another Fine Day features a number of enjoyable songs as well as excellent harmonic interplay between the vocalists. This album is not a watershed musical moment for any performer involved, but it’s not meant to be. It fulfills its purpose well and fans of each band represented will likely take pleasure in the way the album casts a new light on some of their favorite songwriters. [www.goldensmog.com]