Golden Smog
Another Fine Day
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Golden Smog
Another Fine Day
Lost Highway, 2006
RiYL: Wilco, Jayhawks, Soul Asylum |
Believe me, I’ve tried everything. I’ve listened to the album in just about every possible situation--a late-night drive through DC, running a few errands, blasting through the speakers in the condo, and along the highway to the beach.
And when the record is finished, I come to the same conclusion—“so, has it started yet?”
Aside from a few numbers, Another Fine Day is one of those albums that just never gets going. It’s not for lack of trying, that’s for sure, as the 15 songs run the gamut from dreamy pop to folk music to full-fledged rock.
The problem is, the dreamy pop songs put the listener to sleep while the folk music feels forced and repetitive.
The rock is definitely the high point. But “Hurricane”—the ninth song on the record—comes way too late into the album, and by the time you’ve moved onto “Strangers,” you realize you’ve got five more songs to go.
For this reviewer, Another Fine Day is one big, flat disappointment. I expected much more from the band, given its pedigree of established musicians—Gary Louris and Marc Perlman of the now defunct Jayhawks, Dan Murphy from the resurgent Soul Asylum, Kraig Johnson from the obscure Run, Westy, Run, and, of course, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy.
Especially because its first two records—1996’s Down by the Old Mainstream and 1998’s Weird Tales—were almost spectacular. For a band that prides itself on informalities, their previous efforts reeked of solid tunesmithery, hard work and, most importantly, good times. Mainstream is no doubt the better of the two, but Weird Tales contained its share of exciting surprises.
And perhaps the Smog should have let good enough alone as Another Fine Day does not measure up. It is not an embarrassment, mind you, but after two solid records, the band waits another 8 years to release this?
Let me put it another way: Does anyone remember the second Traveling Wilburys album, the oddly named Volume III? I didn’t think so.
There are a handful of decent tunes on Another Fine Day. The aforementioned “Hurricane,” penned by Soul Asylum’s Murphy, is by far the best of the bunch. The Smog are at their best with these types of songs—heavy, silly, and catchy.
“It’s a drag when your world’s a hurricane/ Forever blowin’ up some coasts/ Some are inland/ Some are quick sand/ but all you do is you see your ghosts,” Murphy quietly intones over growing guitars, before the song explodes: “It’s a drag when you’re world’s a hurricane/ can’t fall asleep without the TV on.”
“Corvette” tries to rock, but Louris’ tune is so catchy is almost sounds like a mid-80s Bangles tune.
Tweedy checks in sporadically, probably smart to keep his distance a bit. His “Long Time Ago” is a simple folk tune, again a reminder of the Smog at their best, and “Listen Joe,” co-penned with Louris, reminds the listener of Simon and Garfunkle.
It is hearing songs like “Hurricane,” Listen Joe,” “Strangers,” and even “Cure For This” that give the listener hope that the Smog’s well hasn’t run dry.
But having to shuffle through lackluster numbers such as “You Make It Easy,” the title track, “5-22-02,” “Corvette,” and, well, most of the rest, to get to those is an exercise in frustration.
Look, I know some will say I’m taking the band too seriously or that I’m stuck in the mid-‘90s and can’t accept when groups change their sound. That is not the case. I’ve embraced Wilco, the Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, and other so-called “alt.country” bands that have grown and changed considerably over the years.
In this case, the Smog just sound flat and uninspiring. There’s not much else to say besides that.
RODEO ROB | An expert on all things "alt," Rob spends his days covering the energy industry and his nights covering the DC-area bars. Raise yer glass especially high to this man, for he has contributed to this site constantly since its creation four years ago.