Brooklyn's very own The Golden Grass return with their third album, titled Absolutely, for Listenable Records, and the New York retro hard rock trio are once again delivering sensational '70s inspired music that seems straight out of a newly discovered time capsule. The band, comprised of Professor Plum Brandy (Michael Rafalowich) on guitar & lead vocals, The Golden Goose (Adam Kriney) on drums & lead vocals, and bassist The Fireball (Morgan McDaniel), display influences like Blue Cheer, The James Gang, Grand Funk Railroad, Budgie, Black Sabbath, The Allman Brothers Band, and Mountain, for a groove-alicious sound that heavy on hooks, muscular riffs, and a trippy vibe.
The first half of Absolutely moves pretty quickly, with some shorter tracks that rock hard and bristle along with plenty of heft, like the uptempo "Catch Your Eye", the stoner-ish riffs of "Show Your Hand", and the groove laden Grand Funk thump of "Never You Mind". Plenty of crunchy riffs and tumultuous riffs on "Runaway", along with some fiery psychedelic lead guitars, while the thick bass guitar drives the tasty bluesy hard rock of "Walk Along", another tune chock full of classic sounds, including an addicting guitar hook. The Golden Grass show they can boogie with the best of them on "The Spell", another sizzling '70s styled number that owes as much to Uriah Heep as it does to Status Quo or Cactus, but it's the near 9-minute "Out on the Road" that sees the band that sees the band launch into epic jam mode for the first time on the album, a tune ready made for cruisin' out on the highway with some memorable vocal melodies (I'm reminded of Boston, KISS, and Lynyrd Skynyrd here), scorching riffs & lead guitars, as well as kick ass rhythms. Put your foot to the gas, get our your air guitar, and prepare to bang thy head on this one! Absolutely closes with "Begging the Question", a Free-meets-Black Sabbath styled monster, the fuzz laden bass & metallic guitar riffs colliding over crashing drum fills and a bluesy yet heavy vibe. The grooves are undeniable on this corker, a great tune to end a truly sensational album.
We always talk about all the great retro sounding hard rock bands from Sweden and Scandinavia, but this little band from the good old USA continues to remind us that vintage '70s styled heavy rock is also alive and well in North America. If you haven't yet discovered The Golden Grass, this is as good a place to start as any.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
1. Catch Your Eye 03:01
2. Show Your Hand 04:57
3. Never You Mind 02:56
4. Runaway 05:20
5. Walk Along 04:03
6. The Spell 04:42
7. Out On The Road 08:58
8. Begging The Question 05:52
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