Artist: The Wynntown Marshals
Album: The End Of The Golden Age
Bitrate: 247kbps avg
Quality: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.98.4 / -V0 / 44.100Khz
Label: Blue Rose Records
Genre: Rock
Size: 84.55 megs
PlayTime: 0h 45min 31sec total
Rip Date: 2015-05-11
Store Date: 2015-05-08
Track List:
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01. There Was A Time 4:50
02. Dead Sunflowers 3:26
03. Being Lazy 4:11
04. Red Clay Hill 4:45
05. Idaho 4:06
06. Better Than Yesterday 4:04
07. The Girl On The Hill 5:44
08. Metagama 3:55
09. Moby Doll 6:11
10. The End Of The Golden Age 4:19
Release Notes:
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One of the freshest and most authentic bands on the current No
Depression/Alt.Country Rock scene does not hail from Austin, Raleigh or
Louisville but from à Edinburgh in Scotland. The Wynntown Marshalsæ brew of
classic 70ies-style country rock, guitar rock with 80s pop elements and todayÆs
interpretation of Americana sounds so genuinely American that one almost wants
to see their passports to believe their origin. The End Of The Golden Age is the
quintetÆs brand-new fifth album û it ranges between the sounds of the Byrds,
Flying Burrito Brothers and Poco to Son Volt, Jayhawks and Whiskeytown with
references to the Stones, Neil Young, Wilco and Tom Petty.
In 2007 the Wynntown Marshals became the heirs of the Sundowns, one of
ScotlandÆs most Americana-oriented folk-rock bands at the time. On their first,
eponymous EP, released in early 2008, bandleader, songwriter, guitarist and lead
singer Keith Benzie was crucial for the bandÆs sound with his songs between rock
and melancholia and his raspy voice reminiscent of Sid Griffin, Jeff Tweedy and
Ryan Adams. In May 2010 they released their debut album Westerner to tons of
positive reviews in Maverick, Heaven, Americana UK, No Depression. With
excellent guitarist Iain Sloan as a new member, the band further developed their
guitar-based country rock. With their energetic live shows the Wynntown Marshals
won over an avid fan base and a reputation as a terrific live band. After a
number of changes in their rhythm section by 2012 the band had grown into a
tight-knit quartet with band boss Benzie, guitarist Sloan as well as Murdock
MacLeod (bass, backing vocals) and Kenny McCabe (drums, backing vocals).
Produced and supported on numerous instruments by Andrew Taylor, their Blue Rose
debut The Long Haul was a major step forward.
Why change a winning team? The band went into the studio again in the second
half of 2014 with Andrew Taylor on the console and the same personnel plus new
band member Richie Noble on keyboards to start work on their new album The End
Of The Golden Age. With ten convincing tracks it is their most mature and
organic, in short their best album to date.
Starting with the melodic rock of éThere Was A TimeÆ until the album-closing,
hooky title track ,The End Of The Golden AgeÆ, the album delivers Marshals
quality with all its well-loved ingredients: jangly 12-string Rickenbackers,
intricately layered guitars, often erupting into twin solos, the rhythm
sectionÆs rolling Americana beat and the lovely interplay of Keith BenzieÆs
charismatically raspy lead vocals and the pristine three-part harmonies often
reminiscent of the Eagles or CSN, the delicate pedal steel ornaments, the earthy
organ or delicate piano fills, the natural analog sound of it all. æDead
SunflowersÆ and æBetter Than YesterdayÆ, both stage-tested, are convincing,
straight-ahead electric guitar rockers. æBeing LazyÆ is a Murdoch MacLeod number
that finds its perfect incarnation as a lazy, semi-acoustic, slow motion ballad
with pedal steel and Bruce MichieÆs one-man brass section. Proof of the albumÆs
significant country rock factor is provided by æRed Clay HillÆ (with guest
vocals by Hannah Elton-Wall from the Redlands Palomino Company), the bittersweet
æIdahoÆ with its killer chorus, the plaintive, midtempo number æThe Girl On The
HillÆ and the MacLeod-penned æMetagamaÆ. æMoby DollÆ develops in over six
minutes into a Wilco-like epic with guitar, organ and trumpet (Bruce Michie
again) jam on a rousing finale.
With this strong outing the Wynntown Marshals have finally established
themselves as a self-contained band with an original flavour in the Americana
genre û easily on a par with their colleagues from the other side of the
Atlantic. The End Of The Golden Age sets the bar for vital, handmade country &
guitar rock in 2015 û all the bandÆs fans can look forward to their upcoming
European tour and the live debuts of these strong new songs!