In a line on the very first track of “The Tarnished Gold,” the band Beachwood Sparks croons to the listener that there’s a “winter in my heart.” The lyric strikes an ironic chord as we soon begin to realize that this is not an album for the chilled winter soul, but for hazy summer days.
“The Tarnished Gold,” the band’s first full album since going on hiatus in 2001, stays true to the group’s indie-country vibe. Its beautifully blended harmonies are aided by the consistent sound of bluegrass banjos and harmonicas. But with its feel-good lyrics and the hint of psychedelic guitar that pops up every once in a while, its sound is consistently reminiscent of the 1970s. It’s Woodstock, but without the politics.
The album’s first track, “Forget the Song,” is one of the band’s strongest on the LP. With its dreamy melodies and a synthesized backbeat that brings you back to images of kaleidoscope flower power, the song is Beachwood Sparks at its most Beach Boys-esque, though the chorus returns the band to its country sound.
The band, which originated in Los Angeles, continually crosses the line between indie-rock and folk country. The bluegrass sound is especially pronounced in “Sparks Fly Again.” With a call-and-return chorus reminiscent of “Surfin’ USA,” and lyrics such as “days roll by / the sea is dreaming across tides / tides roll in / brings me back together with my friends,” the feel-good vibe makes it hard not to imagine summer barbecues and Coronas with your pals.
The album takes on a sad tone that it doesn’t revisit in “Mollusk,” one of the LP’s weaker tracks. An intense guitar accompanies ironically happy lyrics as the band sings about “happy faces / gleaming eyes … birds laughing / up on the golden sand,” making you wonder if the cops just rolled up to the laid-back beach party.
The album reaches its high point two songs later at “Water from the Well,” easily the most beautiful song on “The Tarnished Gold.” Its slow, haunting melody is accompanied by the comforting repeat of a soft guitar and drum beat, lulling you to sleep. The band’s natural lyrics also reach their own peak in beautiful imagery as they sing, “let it flow out like the water / like the river rejoins the sea / wish I could feel something / I just wanted to be free.”
After such a musical high, the album dips into a low with the over-indulgent softness of “Leave That Light On” and the out-of-place hilarity of “No Queremeos Oro.” But the album returns to psychedelic bliss and banjo earthiness with tracks like “Earl Jean” and “The Orange Grass Special,” so that when the band sings, “I love a happy ending,” you feel as if “The Tarnished Gold” has given you exactly that.
““ Anneta Konstantinides
Email Konstantinides at akonstantinides@media.ucla.edu