June 06, 2005
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| THE BROKEDOWN: The Dutchman's Gold: Review |
 The Brokedown
The Dutchman's Gold EP
[unsigned / 2005]
*Sixeyes Score: 9.0 out of 10
Review by Alan Williamson
The Brokedown (now known as The Broken West) make their hometown in LA. Yep, the entertainment capital of the planet. And it's quite fitting as this is one entertaining outfit who have just released their new EP, The Dutchman's Gold. A record of sparkling power pop and melancholic ballads, an EP offering little more than a handful of songs, but songs that resemble classics after only a couple of spins. Opening with the great throb and jangle of "Down In The Valley", the short but potent debut moves smoothly through songs "Please" and "Sparks" to the big payoff track, "My Love Is True"... and what a payoff it is. The song starts inconspicuously enough, but things pick up the instant singer/songwriter Ross Flournoy begins to sing. But the chorus (and this song like all great pop songs, lives and dies by the chorus), when the chorus hits, with it's descending guitar line and Flournoy's yearning falsetto, that's what puts this song in rarified company. Then factor in the simple beauty of the lyric and this chorus will mainline its way into your heart, putting you into deep sugar shock and letting you know you're in pop heaven. This is what all pop songwriter's should aspire for--this is near perfect--and surprisingly it doesn't overpower the other six songs. The sad/sweet lope of "New Years Day", with it's achy pedal steel, will surely find a place in listeners favorites of the year. But don't forget, "Dignity", in which Flournoy takes his spectacular gift for pop song writing and colors it blue (stirring up echoes of late 70's star Gerry Rafferty). "Down In The Valley", where Elvis Costello meets So Cal jangle pop. "Sparks" with it's delicate acoustic guitar and rousing chorus--and "Please", which is, ohh... just another hooky chorus ringing with the band's harmonies... hell, that's just about the entire disc.
There is no question that these guys, Flournoy (vocals/guitars/bass/keys), Dan Ilead (guitar/pedal steel/bass/vocals), Will Canzoneri (Fender Rhodes/organ/vocals), and Rob McCorkindale (drums/percussion/glockenspiel), who are surprisingly still unsigned, play the music they love and love the music that inspires them. Which I am guessing would be everything from the exuberance of The Monkees late 60's hits to Matthew Sweet's album, Girlfriend, (which should, about now, be ready to be deemed a classic by whoever does that sort of thing for a living), and current power pop master, The New Pornographers, Carl (A.C.) Newman. In fact at times they sound kind of like the early seventies California vibe of The Eagles, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Jackson Browne, and Neil Young crossed with The New Pornographers.
The Brokedown should be extremely proud of The Dutchman's Gold.
+ My Love Is True [mp3]
+ Dignity [mp3]
* The Dutchman's Gold can be purchased through The Brokedown homepage
**BTW: as I stated in the above review, the band is still unsigned and I know they would love to find a home on a little indie label.... so, if that's you, please give them a call.
THE BAND, now called The Broken West, HAS BEEN SIGNED TO MERGE RECORDS!
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posted by alan williamson @ 9:17 PM   |
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| 4 Comments: |
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Great review! and i love these songs... thanks!
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much love and thanks to you, alan. this makes my day sometimes.
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Great review! and i love these songs... thanks!