Investigated this band a couple of years ago when I kept seeing their name pop up on several "2008 Best Of" lists for their album "Furr." I liked the playful, alt-country vibe and chalked it up as a nice find worthy of future consideration. When 2010's "Destroyer Of The Void" dropped, I immediately acquired it and was blown away by the opening track, a journey into prog-rock that was nowhere to be found on "Furr." "Destroyer..." was more complex and rockin', with only a few hints of the Americana sound from earlier. I loved it, but alas, the band's fan base was less than enamored with the stylistic shift, and it showed when the band came to Orlando in support. Sales reflected it as well, as the record never cracked the Top 200.
Saw this album on the huge September release list but didn't acquire it until late November. I don't know how or why this post ended up being the last of the lot, but it has. What the delay gave me was time to read up on it before listening. Probably one of the main reasons I pushed this aside for a while was "southern rock" was a common descriptor through many of the reviews. It was difficult for me, a Tennessee boy who grew up with Barefoot Jerry and the CDB in the 70's, to fathom a "southern rock" record in 2011 from a band from Portland, OR! And once I started spin #1, I knew I was right. Figured most of the reviewers were from the Northwest and weren't even born in the 70's! No way "American Goldwing" is a southern rock album, not even close. Just because there is more countrified instrumentation coupled with lyrics similar to "drinkin' whisky through his teeth"? That does not make it "southern." What it does do is bring the album's sound back to what their fans demanded, albeit a hair more country (not southern), and they have responded by making it their biggest seller yet.
I like it...it's a keeper...but I'm not as thrilled with it as the previous two...
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