Review Summary: A little bit fruity
As we all know, music criticism has many different avenues and perspectives. It’s not all just about the sounds you hear. We also include context, history, potential and other elements that can be difficult to quantify.
Upon hearing snatches of tracks from Sweet Apple’s second LP
The Golden Age of Glitter, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’re listening to the latest sun-drenched and well-dressed ‘alt rock’ (in the magazine sense) band.
But…{Morpheus}What if I told you…{/Morpheus} that Sweet Apple also contain not only J Mascis but Mark Lanegan as well? Lanegan's isn't this record's lead vocalist though. The majority of duties rest with Dave Petkovic, but Lanegan's contribution is as bone-shaking as usual.
Given that the album’s opener, the shiny and lovingly-presented “Wish You Could Stay (A Little Longer)”, breaks out like some summer radio hit, it makes you wonder whether or not your view has been altered by the knowledge of who’s playing on it.
Of course, that neat little theory is put to bed as soon as Lanegan’s cured-ham-hanging-in-a-dusty-Spanish-bar vocals splinter through. If you can’t identify Lanegan immediately as soon as he pops on any of his various recordings by this point, then maybe music isn’t the thing for you.
My point is, appearances can be very deceiving. As that snooty clubhouse woman said on The Simpsons: “The problem with first impressions is you only get to make one.”
The Golden Age Of Glitter rewards the patient and things become clearer. “Reunion” swings with a rugged swagger. The riff at its foundation is classic Mascis; simple but why didn’t anyone else think of it first? “Boys In Her Fanclub” sticks by the same set of rules. The gritty guitar playing and polished production work well together, and Sweet Apple emerge from the noise sounding like the city’s best bar band.
We hit more familiar territory with “Another Desert Skyline”; a song with a dollop of Lanegan’s well-worn “lone gunslinger” tropes, a catchy rudimentary glam riff and enough bird noises to fill an aviary.
Alas, it does become something of an album of two halves. “Troubled Sleep”, “We Are Ruins” and “You Made a Fool Out Of Me” provide consecutive disappointments, draining away the vibrant, fast-paced energy of the first half. “Mystery Track” draws events to a close in a damp fashion.
The Golden Age Of Glitter then, is a subversive record. Things may not be as they appear at various points throughout, but that’s no reason not to give it a go.
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