Golden Gunn’s self-titled release treats listeners to a brilliant balance between natural, Southern acoustic guitar melodies and pulsing synthetics and effects that cross the genre spectrum.
Singer/songwriter M.C. Taylor and multi-instrumentalist Scott Hirsch of Hiss Golden Messenger teamed up with songwriter and guitarist Steve Gunn out of New York to form Golden Gunn in 2012.
The foundation for the record is old country with stand-alone finger picking and twangy, stretched notes. But the synths create a more haunting overtone that’s twisted into a certain swagger similar to that of The Rolling Stones. While most songs begin with skillful finger picking, no two songs sound alike.
In “Dickie’s Theme,” dueling guitar melodies create the feeling that something is crawling along, waiting to emerge. That moment comes when a simple electronic beat accelerates the duel to an almost hip-hop style. The smoky vocals that emerge halfway through the song have an artistic voice-over delivery, announcing “Dickie’s back in town.”
The vocals fade back into an echo as the synths ramp up and the dueling melodies immediately return, feeding off of the energy from the rumbling static’s sudden exit. The tune reaches full circle and ends the way it begins, creeping with pep.
The band takes a new direction with “A Couple of Blackbirds.” The song sounds like a slower-paced disco song where, once again, the guitars act as competitive counterparts that still manage to complement each other. The echoing lead guitar uses the wah-wah effect while a blues “chicken-scratch” guitar dominates the up-beat. The track is purely instrumental like most of the LP, displaying the band’s talent for combining a multitude of instruments in an unconventional yet cohesive way.
Overall, the old-fashioned folk basics and experimental electronic elements Golden Gunn provides in its album melt sublimely into a set of captivating songs, connecting effortlessly until the end.
Dive Verdict: ????1/2
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