Saturday, August 19, 2006

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By Jeffrey Lee Puckett
jpuckett@courier-journal.com
Courier-Journal Critic

Golden Smog began as a stumbling, ramshackle indie-rock supergroup featuring members of the Jayhawks, the Replacements, Uncle Tupelo, Run Westy Run and Soul Asylum. More than 15 years later, only Soul Asylum survives (and some would argue that a mercy killing is long overdue).

But Golden Smog is still here, even if it has been eight years between albums, and "Another Fine Day" is one of the year's genuine surprises.

It's a richly observed and heartfelt homage to pop music of the late 1960s and early '70s, an era when the genre grew from a horse-faced teen with braces into a stunning beauty with endless possibilities.

Parts of this record sound like what might have happened if the Beatles had made it to 1975, or if Big Star hadn't lost its collective mind (Big Star drummer Jody Stephens actually shows up for a couple of songs).

There are moments that will remind you of the Eagles, too, but not in a creepy way. In other words, the emphasis is on shimmering melodies, in this case bolstered by consistently inspired arrangements and performances.

Fans of the Jayhawks should be geeked. Jayhawks singer/guitarist/co-founder Gary Louris wrote or co-wrote 14 of 15 songs and handles most of the backup vocals when he isn't singing lead. His fingerprints are everywhere, closely followed by Kraig Jarret Johnson and Dan Murphy, whose "Hurricane" is a highlight. Charter member Jeff Tweedy barely shows up, but he connects strongly with "Long Time Ago" and "Listen Joe."

With a band pedigree like this, maybe Golden Smog can't avoid making good records. Now if we could just shorten that eight-year lag time, we might squeeze in a couple more before end times.

Jeffrey Lee Puckett is SCENE's pop music editor and oversees this page.

Online: Find past album and concert reviews, or ask Jeffrey Lee a question, at www.courier-journal.com/music

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