The Golden Grass: The Golden Grass

Amiable 70s revivalists forget to reach past their roots

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With this debut, Brooklyn trio The Golden Grass take to the freewheeling plains of 70s roots rock, mountain music and country blues, offering a breezy counter-point to the doomy psychedelic bluster of other revivalists such as Orchid and Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats.

Unfortunately, this jammy paean to the sprawling narratives of Little Feat or Humble Pie hews far too close to the originals. Guitarist Michael Rafalowich’s echo-drenched noodling takes centre stage on opener Please Man and Stuck On A Mountain, while on the nearly 13-minute Wheels, the mystifying inclusion of a two-minute drum solo underscores the album’s aimlessness.

Top-notch musicianship abounds, which makes it all the more frustrating when one considers what this trio might’ve accomplished had they stepped out of such well-trodden territory.

Joe Daly

Hailing from San Diego, California, Joe Daly is an award-winning music journalist with over thirty years experience. Since 2010, Joe has been a regular contributor for Metal Hammer, penning cover features, news stories, album reviews and other content. Joe also writes for Classic Rock, Bass Player, Men’s Health and Outburn magazines. He has served as Music Editor for several online outlets and he has been a contributor for SPIN, the BBC and a frequent guest on several podcasts. When he’s not serenading his neighbours with black metal, Joe enjoys playing hockey, beating on his bass and fawning over his dogs.