Being called 'Mushy' is not considered a compliment in any walk of life, save for those that prefer soggy cereal. Golden Bear are mushy in so many ways, and it hurts to point this out because they are capable of much more. The evidence is in tracks like "Golden Bear Revival Stomp" and "Silent Prayer," two back-to-back heartfelt pop songs with untouchable choruses. I've asked it before and I'll ask it again: How can a group with the sweetness to manage such sublime tunes fudge so many other aspects of their repertoire? Ahh, if only the Bear's songwriting whimsy matched their other faculties...
But back to the mushy analogy: It presents itself all over the place, from half-realized, generic songs ("A Reason to be Proud," "The Darkest of Days") to softly padded production values to marble-mouthed vocals to a shallow sense of identity. Not that jumping around from genre to genre is uncalled for, but when certain songs sound so much more definitive than others it's often the result of an ensemble not sticking to its strengths.
Aww hell, there I go focusing on the negative again. Truth is, Golden Bear is a very serviceable band with endless potential, much like their mates in The Channel, who contributed to this recording. They love to pepper a variety of instruments over the main course like fine oregano, and they love to switch gears even more, hopping from Nashville twang to Portland pop to gooey Georgia psych-rock. And the finalè to "Amazing Edward"? Simply genius, like a million pillows raining from the sky and covering you with peat-scented goodness!
So why this hesitance to give this juicy Golden Bear a shiny foil wrapper? They're just not ready yet. They need time to work out just exactly where it is they hope to go, who they want to be. In the meantime, this self-titled jaunt is a nice mission statement that will doubtlessly be reworked, rewritten, and overhauled in the future. Until then, onward, or, should I say, "MUSH!"
1. A Reason To Be Proud
2. Ten Thousand Orchestras
3. Wonderful
4. Santa Rosa
5. Golden Bear Revival Stomp
6. Silent Prayer
7. The Saddest Songs
8. Lady Soul
9. Victory is Ours
10. The Darkest of Days
11. Amazing Edward
More about: Golden Bear
