Golden State - Division (State Champ Records)
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| Golden State - Division |
Release Date: 31st March 2014
I don't think it's any
coincidence that I sat down to listen to this album for the first time straight
after watching the Farrelly brothers film 'Stuck On You' for the first time
considering this is an album called 'Division' and the cover art seemingly
features conjoined eagles. Los Angeles quartet Golden State open this album
with the understated tones of 'All Roads Lead Home' which builds slowly like
the sun coming up on the night before bursting in to an array of lights and
colour like Elbow in leather (but not leather elbow patches). Weirdly, the next
track is 'Setting Sun' which continues the theme of soaring, anthemic guitars
as sensitive, gentle vocals before the harmonious introduction to 'Sink Or
Swim' takes things to a more place that puts me in mind of recent Stereophonics
or the Killers output. 'Destroyer' has a little more personality about it,
sounding highly inspired by Muse's 'Knights Of Cydonia' with the chugging guitars
and rolling drums and this is where Golden State's strengths definitely lie
rather than on the slightly ponderous 'The Outsiders' which takes too long to
get going and then doesn't really achieve lift off when it does.
This feels like an album by a
band who want to sound a certain way but have commercial success nagging at the
back of their mind so the majority of songs, like 'Save Me' and 'Standing On
The Edge Of It All', sound like they were written expressly for those dramatic
moments in American dramas where the impossibly rich and good looking people
get all upset because one of the other impossibly good looking and rich people
doesn't want to jump in to bed with them. There is, at least, a sense of
lightness to 'Splinters Out' that is appealing and 'World On Fire' has a
triumphalism that you could expect of Kings Of Leon in all their pomp and glory
although it does veer dangerously close to U2 at times. 'High Noon' picks up
the pace a little with a semi-punk, indie guitar riff and some slow burning
vocals that show signs of a smouldering appeal but the electronic
psssshhhheeeeooooooo noises are a little bit much. There's no denying the drums
that open 'Light Speed' are tempting but the tune that follows is insipid rock
that you might expect to wake up to having fallen asleep during a poor sequel
at the cinema with the credits nearly at an end. By the time we get to 'Rocket'
there isn't any high expectation on this album so it's pleasantly surprising
that Golden State at least have a stab at sleaze rock (they're from LA after
all) and manage a passable Buckcherry tribute if nothing else. This is a
frustrating album as these guys can play but they need stretching or at least
given some space to stretch themselves away from the safe MOR/AOR territory.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/GOLDENSTATEBAND?fref=ts