Golden City

AMG Review of Golden City

Ned Raggett
All Music Guide

Taken from a San Francisco date on the Fort Lake tour, Golden City is an in-places rough but enjoyable recording of Defever, Pippen, Gilchrist and others working through a fine eleven-song set. Given Defever's new focus on playing around with older rock and soul styles on Fort Lake, it's no surprise that the show matches that emphasis, with the five-piece line-up playing about half that album along with a variety of other cuts. The feeling throughout is enjoyably good-time even at its most intense -- one wants to think that this is what bands like the Black Crowes try to capture but end up missing entirely. Hints of Defever's punkier roots crop up with the sheer drive of some of the songs, while the pop experimentalism assayed on Stars on ESP also makes some return appearances. As has always been the case with His Name is Alive's career, Defever and company don't so much change styles as evolve new ones from where they've all been before. Defever's playing is unsurprisingly mighty fine, while Pippen proves again why she's such a great foil for his playing, her voice rich and classically soulful without resorting to the showboating that makes the likes of Mariah Carey so obnoxious. "Sunshine" is one of the concert's best moments, the poppy flow of the chorus surrounded by some entertaining jam work. Other wonderful winners include a lovely run through the sweet "Everything Takes Forever" and "Red Haired Girl," the Motown-derived jump of the music pure musical joy in action. "Wish I Had a Wishing Ring," one of Fort Lake's and the band's best ever numbers, lets Defever cook up some serious guitar solo fire, while "Is This The Way the Tigers Do?" gets a great full-on funk/rock revamp that just plain smokes.