Golden Daze
Self-titled
Reviewed by: Adelie Salagnac
A purple-ish sunset over the desert, a few of your best friends, a chilly yet comforting breeze… And Golden Daze to provide a soundtrack to it. Just looking at the cover takes you somewhere far away, but wait until you hear the dreamy, whimsical and surrealistic tunes.
LA-based collaborative duo, formed by Midwest natives Jacob Leob and Ben Schwab, Golden Daze is releasing its debut self-titled, full-length via Autumn Tone. Psychedelic journey through late-night drives, summer parties and nights on the beach, Golden Daze’s album blends elements of sparkly 60’s rock and contemporary kaleidoscopic dream-pop.
Mixture of a Real Estate, Beach Boys, and Brian Jonestown Massacre songs, the 11 tracks have it all: the melodic sounds, the upbeat and light instrumentation, the reverberated feel-good guitars, the discordant, discordant vocals… it’s a real melting pot of inspirations. The album was produced by Kai Hugo, a Netherlands-based musician you might know as Palmbomen, who, according to the band, played a big role in unifying their eclectic influences and creating a cohesive and unique sound.
Golden Daze’s dreamy-pop, one-of-a-kind songs won me over and I found myself hitting that “replay” button a couple of times. The band’s catchy tunes and melodies still leave a place for well-written, melancholic lyrics, telling tales of parting away, of changing, of leaving, with a hint of hope.
Over-washed and dipped in acid, this has been described as a hybrid rock album, combining good old rock with a certain pop sensibility, which works surprisingly well. Although the vocals can sometimes be over-faded and the sound be over-edited, Golden Daze demonstrates an impressive musicianship and composition skills. It’s a memorable and promising piece that hits you hard in the feels and leaves you wanting to play it over and over again – get ready for a warmer weather and for sunny days spent at the beach, because this debut release will take you all the way to California.
Rating: Listenable
