There is probably no band in existence right now as happy with their name as Golden; of the nine songs on their new album, Golden Summer, three contain their namesake. I think I speak for all of us when I say it's a good thing that groups with more lengthy and nonsensical names-- such as And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead-- do not also follow this trend. (Example: "A Bushel of Wheat from Egypt is Found Sopping Wet Near the Neutral Milk Hotel Enclave"). At any rate, I hope we can safely assume that Golden aren't breaking their arms patting themselves on the back.

Golden Summer is a diverse musical journey through various parts of the world. Our tour begins with a plucked mandolin cycle that resembles something out of a science feature on "3-2-1 Contact." We move to the East on songs like "Recital (Spindac Volare)" and "Executive Outcomes," which at times resemble the sort of sounds one would expect to hear while eating chilled monkey brains in South America. On "Hot," Golden head down South for a healthy helping of loose funk in a Blues Explosion spirit. "Army Worms" is a Neptunian experiment in syncopated guitar rhythms, and "Winter Blues" is a gloomy and atmospheric trip through a January night's fog.

Throughout all of this nomadic musical meandering, Golden infuse their music with a certain jam band mentality, tinged by classic rock guitar tendencies. Thus, the album tends to grow stagnant during the more drawn-out, overlong pieces. The Golden sound is far from polished, featuring quite unnecessarily overwrought vocals in areas. On "Executive Outcomes" specifically, Golden's frontman adds too much phlegm and flair to his vocals, ultimately making it seem amateurish. Certain moments on Golden Summer stray from intriguing experimentalism into self-indulgent exercises in a single chord or theme, as on the final track, "Golden," which features one repeated, redundant chord for several minutes.

Golden Summer is an interesting, musically diverse listen if you're in the mood for some lengthy and often rambling tracks. But if sprawling instrumental rock pieces are what make your pants hot, the payoff here is substantial. Plus, the drummer has a great pair of sunglasses, which has to be worth something in the long run.

-Taylor M. Clark