Casey Golden S/T album takes cues from 1960s experimental-pop maestros like Brian Wilson, Gal Costa, and Nick Drake, filtering the artist's words through a radiant prism of sun-specked rock & roll and tasteful Tropicalia flourishes (it shouldn't be surprising to learn that Brazilian studio legend Rogerio Duprat is one of Golden's primary production touchstones). Of course, the instrumental wizardry might be beside the point if not for Golden's voice - a haunting falsetto that sticks to the heart and gives the music a rare, heart-breaking vulnerability. Album opener "Minor Leagues" is a strong case-in-point, its melody floating effortlessly over a bossa nova shuffle and a surging wave-pool of echo-drenched electric guitar. Golden credits Tucson's tight knit music community with helping to inspire these new angles and it is not hard to see the spirit of camaraderie that underlays the proceedings. On stage, Golden's crack live band of ace session-guitarist Connor Gallaher (Calexico, Pearl Charles, Dr. Dog), bassist Grant Beyschau (The Myrrors), and drummer Adan Martinez-Kee (Louise Le Hir) teases these kaleidoscopic compositions out even further, digging in to the music's inherent energy and searing through winding improvisations that add entirely new dimensions to what would otherwise be sweet and concise Arrangements.
