Golden Smog Another Fine Day CD

An on-again, off-again supergroup of the Midwest's finest country rockers, Golden Smog return with ANOTHER FINE DAY, their first album since 1998's WEIRD TALES. Once again, the group is comprised of three-fifths of the Jayhawks (Gary Louris, Mark Perlman and Kraig Johnson), Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum, drummer Jody Stephens of Big Star, and, on about half the songs, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. No one singer or songwriter dominates the album, but the twangy, rootsy power pop of the Big Star and Jayhawks axis flourishes on songs like "Corvette" and "Gone," while Murphy's harder-rocking lead-vocal showcase, "Hurricane," nods to Soul Asylum's punky origins and Tweedy's "Listen Joe" is a spooky take on Wilco-style art-country.

Photographer: Steve Barri Cohen.

Golden Smog: Dan Murphy, Gary Louris, Jeff Tweedy, Marc Perlman, Kraig Jarret Johnson.

Audio Mixers: Ed Ackerson; Stuart Sikes.

Entertainment Weekly (p.70) - "[T]heir commitment to fine songwriting has only strengthened, as proven by the brass-backed '5-22-02'..."
Q (p.108) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "While the power pop of 'Corvette' harks to rollicking times of yore, the desert haze shimmer of 'Gone' or tear-jerking 'Listen Joe' are no mere crumbs from the table."
Magnet (p.96) - "'Corvette' is possibly the outfit's best song ever, while the title track and '5-22-02' are shimmering examples of melodic Smog-pop done right."
No Depression (p.109) - "The title cut filters a typically fine Louris melody and winsome vocal through YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT style sonic disruptions..."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.88) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Like past efforts, the new record reveals a strong fondness for '70s FM radio pop and dusky Americana."