Labels: Gallivant
Review by: Oli Saunders
It’s interesting how many members of punk bands eventually end up making more mellow music, albeit still influenced by their roots. Norman Silver and the Gold are one such band. They play punk and Johnny Cash influenced alternative country. There are three different vocalists at different times, with Norman doing most of the duties. Its some of the riffs that remind me of Johnny but on second thought he does not pervade the music very often. It’s really interesting and well made. The start of ‘Gotta Lotta Loss’ reminds me of the ‘Hey Boy Hey Boy’ song in ‘The American Astronaut’ due to its rhyming nature; other parts remind of the likes of Pentangle. The wandering ballad ‘Kolberg’ is my pick of the bunch with its sweet and sorrowful beginning. Rough sounding at times and willing to experiment, the main downside is that songs don’t always work out (I guess I’m looking for sufficient hooks) or flow from one to the next. Yet I applaud the originality and this is worth a listen.
14th July 2014