Los Angeles' Goldenboy released their debut album, 'Blue Swan Orchestra,' on Malibu, CA label b-girl records.
The band consists of singer Shon Sullivan (who played with Elliott Smith, Spain and Neil Finn), bassist, guitarist and organist, David McConnell, and drummer Bryan Bos, and a guest appearance from Elliott Smith.
'Blue Swan Orchestra' starts off with a track entitled 'Wild Was The Night' in which Shon's calm, and dreamy vocals glide against rolling guitars and a groovy electric keys solo.
'Sing another Song for the WInter Long' is a very Sad Bastards-esque (Belle and Sebastian) flowing pop song.
Track three 'Blue was of Winter' gently glides up stream, like high school dance song composed by Morrissey, as Shon sings 'Pack up your bags tonight, cause the one we want.'
The album gem is 'Twenty Months in a Hail Storm' which slowly starts off as simple song then, climatically builds and slowly falls to its close. Composed of acoustic guitar, thundering drums, haunted vocal melodies and beautiful reverbed guitar leads.
The slow, brief, ethereal 'Sunlight through the Fog,' laden with sparse piano merges into 'Summertime,' featuring Elliot Smith's
backing vocals reminiscent of 'Because' off the American Beauty Soundtrack.
'Baby Doll' is a she loves me, she loves not, piano song which was a little to broadway musical for my tastes.
The rest of the album seemed to changes moods losing the album's direction, and got a little theatrical for me.
'Blue Swan Orchestra' is a great debut, nicely produced by band member, David McConnell who engineered/produced Elliott Smith, Wilco. The disc will be appreciated by fans of Elliott Smith, Grandaddy, Badly Drawn Boy.
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