Note: Golden Smog has always been more of a side project/alt country supergroup with a rotating cast. The core of the current lineup consists of three former members of The Jayhawks (Gary Louris, Marc Perlman and Kraig Johnson) and Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum, plus some vocal and songwriting contributions from Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy.
Also Note: This is the first Golden Smog album in eight years.
Sound: Classic pop/rock that ranges from Beatles-esque bounce to Cheap Trick bombast to Big Star rootsiness, but each style is often stretched out with walls of experimental sound. They also strip it down and do breezier, acoustic folk.
Heavy Rotation track: The only true standout on here is a relatively faithful cover of The Kinks‘ “Strangers” (which was originally on the 1970 album Lola vs. the Powerman & the Money-Go-Round, Pt. 1)
Medium Rotation tracks: “Corvette“; “Never Felt
Before“; “Frying Pan Eyes“; “Cure For This“; “5-22-02“; “Long Time Ago”
Recommended: If you’re looking for the signature alt country sounds of older Golden Smog or Wilco and The Jayhawks, you won’t find much on Another Fine Day. All the artists involved have moved into more progressive pop, which is well represented here. With 15 eclectic and lengthy tracks, the album feels overbearing. But there are lots of worthwhile nuggets throughout, if you stick with it.
Grade: B