Goldrush Extended Play CD

Given this Oxford band's live and studio work backing up and collaborating with ex- Ride star Mark Gardener of late, one might expect something a little more uptempo and uplifting than this languid, soulful, rather nice five-song EP (only one cut of which is on last year's debut LP, Don't Bring Me Down). With the exception of the more dramatic opener, "What I Thought," and the last minute coda of the closing "Counting Song" (the shoegaze heaven one hoped for at the very last -- oh, the humanity!), this sounds more like an alt version of the Band doing "The Night They Drove Dixie Down." (Goldrush play about the same speed, just more dream-like, and more softcore than country infused.) With the trailing keyboard, rootsy acoustics, and Robin Bennett's aching vocals as bluesy as Procol Harum, Goldrush stake out sonic space somewhere between where the more woozy, slower stuff by the Flaming Lips ends (like Scotland's Delgados, they're also into using Dave Fridmann to produce), and where Iron & Wine and Granddaddy begin. Yes, there is life after being dropped by Virgin. ~ Jack Rabid

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.