Mark Eitzel is a man they just couldn't keep down. His longtime band, American Music Club, reformed a few years back, and they have wasted none of 2008, releasing their new CD, "The Golden Age". Was it worth the wait?
Not from what I hear. Fans of the band will no doubt question the title of the new CD - it's misleading to the core. While doing little wrong lyrically, the dreary picking that runs from song to song is poor backing to Eitzel's world-weary warbling.
From "All My Love" to "The Grand Duchess of San Francisco", this band fails to leave the ground. "Decibels and the Little Pills" harbours some promise, but struggles to act upon it, leaving the listener disappointed once more. Eitzel's reputation as a notable lyricist is lost somewhere in the musical malaise.
At least the album doesn't sound forced but in some ways that is also disappointing. Eitzel has given a rebirth to the American Music Club name to release an album that will be as uninviting to die-hards as to new listeners. The bottom line is that the music will fail to hold the attention of the listener. Don't believe the hype; this album is flat as Holland.