4 Way Street - Pretzel Park

Some of the greatest American bands to come out of the old days were harmony driven acoustic bands that focused on tight melodies and storytelling of love. The likes of Crosby, Stills & Nash, and the Eagles became as American as apple pie, and their influence can still be heard in today’s music. Take as evidence 4 Way Street, an amalgam of the past and the present, armed with piano, acoustic guitars, rotating vocals and harmony. And, yes, their name is a nod to the aforementioned CS&N. Pretzel Park marks the debut effort for this foursome from the City of Brotherly Love. Comprised of four of the areas biggest singer/songwriters, the band was an idea for fun that became their main gig. Switching vocal duties from track to track, the album sound varies while maintaining a definite feel. The very Eagles inspired opener, “Change Gonna Come,” is an admirable song, grooving along and doing the inspiration justice. Two songs later “Love And Hope,” an acoustically driven love song, proves to be one of the stronger laid back songs on the album. “Shoot The Moon” continues the strong flow leading into “Everywhere You Go,” one of the more instantly memorable songs on the album and a great ending to the beautiful first half of the album. Unfortunately, that's where it starts to go a little downhill. “Annie Also Ran” showcases some of the weaker aspects of the album, over done on the background vocals and almost forcibly harmonized. “No Blood” follows it up but sounds a little too “kum-ba-ya"-like for my taste. The perennial epic song of the disc lies in “Sister Moon,” a strong song, but it is kind of spacey at times and has more of a jam band feel than the rest of the disc. Fortunately, “Barbed Wire” finishes up the disc on a high note. Focusing on the imprisonment of the wild and the loss of what made America American, it is a perfect example of the old time good country Americana feel this band shoots for and generally hits. Overall this is a strong disc from a band whose individual talents come together to form an amazing harmonized whole. This is one of those bands you would love to see at a festival or an outdoor amphitheater on a sunny day. A nice debut, filled with what made some of the American bands of the yesteryear great, but the step down in song quality on some of the later songs on the disc and a few weak points prevent it from being great. Worth a listen for sure if you are a fan of harmony and acoustic guitars. [www.4wayst.com]