Long Enough To Leave

Second full-length from this fine Bay Area band channels a healthy dose of paisley (60s San Francisco and 80s Los Angeles) and southwestern influences (country and desert) into well-crafted pop-rock songs. Bits and pieces of the Byrds, Kinks, Guided By Voices, recent records from The Clean and The Bats, and Game Theory -- lots of clean guitar strumming, vocal harmonizing submerged in the mix, melodies and lyrics that are wistful without being maudlin. Although they've added an extra guitar player since recording this record who adds a live lead-solo punch, the album is certainly a success on its own terms. No FCCs detected.

1. ** med(-), almost like an overture that outlines everything to come
2. med(-), faux-brit accents give a Kinks-y flavor to an otherwise subdued rocker
3. builds to med(+), subject to curse of the "title track"
4. * med(+), energetic bass, big gear-shifts from verse to chorus
5. * med, feels like the Sundays ("Here's Where The Story Ends") but male vox
6. med, chorus/bridge tries to get snotty but then settles back down
7. * med, organ finally mixed to where it can be heard, reminiscent of Blue Orchids' "Bad Education"
8. med(-), slightly more folksy/western shuffle mixed with faint synth washes
9. med(+), peppy, simple, faux-glockenspiel at end isn't needed
10. dn(+), sparse, mellow, brings the album to a logical end (and encourages me to start over from the top!)