GOLD AFTERNOON FIX

Here is an album that, if anything, is consistent, which is a rarer quality in prog-tinged music than I would like. I would hesitate to even call this prog-related, but it has its moments. That said, Gold Fix Afternoon is an enjoyable album from The Church, mainly because the guitars sound phenomenal. The singer seems anesthetized but sounds great otherwise. This is an album of simple songs but excellent execution for the most part.

"Pharaoh" A sedated sound, full of washes of noise over acoustic and electric guitar, is a great opening song. The lead singing works over low, droning vocals at certain points. It's an excellent song, one well worth hearing.

"Metropolis" This is another fine track, with a fresh sound and tasteful use of guitars. It has a memorable chorus and several good hooks. It is probably the best song here.

"Terra Nova Cain" While the music is highly interesting, the drums (particularly the snare) sounds poorly recorded (perhaps that gives it part of the appeal). It's my opinion that the vocal melody doesn't go with the music much at all, and sounds lazily sung.

"City" When I first heard this song, it made me think of Pink Floyd's Obscured by Clouds; catchy, accessible, pleasing, and on the minimalistic side in terms of instrumentation.

"Monday Morning" This is a pleasant, albeit forgettable, track. It does have some nice instrumentation and would probably make a decent dance song

"Russian Autumn Heart" This is the point where the album starts to drag for me. While it does pick things up a bit (having a bit more energy), and while there is a great guitar solo in the middle, it makes me think of a theme song for a show like Friends.

"Essence" If the previous song sounded like a TV show theme song, this one does even more so. However, the lyrics are a little on the weird side. The end of the song is an attempt to be interesting, but it is an annoying one.

"You're Still Beautiful" Nothing special here- this song has a terribly boring melody, trite lyrics, and nothing noteworthy to speak of in terms of music (the lead guitar had potential, but it is too repetitive).

"Disappointment" Dark and lovely acoustic guitar and slippery bass slither through the chords as the low singing of the lead vocalist breaks through. Despite the title, this song doesn't lead to that feeling.

"Transient" This is my least favorite track- it has brooding vocals in the beginning, and otherwise sounds like a dark, 1980s pop song gone bad. The singer almost sounds drunk, like he's had too many and his friends pressure him to perform karaoke. Incidentally, the lead guitar is some of the best on the album.

"Laughing" This is one more oasis in a desert of subpar songwriting and lethargic execution. It's still certainly laid back (the singer sounds even drunker), but it's still a good song, partly because this one is mixed so well and has some stellar vocal arrangements and fantastic guitar work, both on acoustic and electric.

"Fading Away" If Kate Bush were a man with a deep voice, and David Gilmour got with her (him) in the early 1990s, this would be their song. It's pleasantly simple with some great lead guitar. Other than that, there's not much to it.

"Grind" The final track once more shows off the first-rate guitar work (again, both on acoustic and electric). Unfortunately, the lead vocals don't fit really, even if the backup vocals are a nice touch. The guitar solo is quite simply one of my favorites on the album.