Album of the Month : July 1999
The Loosegoats (S):
" Plains, plateaus and Mountains " (Startracks)
Coming shortly after a series of much promising EPs, the LOOSEGOATS' full-length debut " For sale by owner" simply stood as one of 1997's most outstanding releases. It had everything you could dream of: the raw energy of HUSKER DÜ or THE REPLACEMENTS, an astute flair for topnotch melodies, not forgetting a splendid collection of truly killing guitar hooks n' riffs. Coming from Tucson, AZ , or Raleigh, NC, such an album would have been instantly praised as a new American classic. Unfortunately, the LOOSEGOATS hailed from Lünd, Sweden, and " For sale by owner" was therefore sadly ignored outside their native land.
Let's hope that history won't repeat with this nonetheless excellent " Plains, Plateaus and Mountains". The name of producer BRIAN PAULSON (UNCLE TUPELO, WILCO, SON VOLT) gives a fair indication of the band's current bearings. Back from their first "acoustic" tour, the LOOSEGOATS were ready for some change, and here it is: " Plains, Plateaus and Mountains" puts the breaks on, shifts into a slower gear, rolls rather than rocks, and swaps the electroshocks of the first album for an extra dose of genuine SOUL. Proof of this can be found on tracks like Sacred Ground, Feeling Deluxe or the epic Storm Mountain Man (11' 30" long and worth every second): a country-tinged mid-tempo coming complete with harmonica, banjo pedal steel and singer CHRISTIAN KJELLVANDER's great drawling vocals ( somewhat sacrificed on the first album) . Even better is the swell tune of Palace of Dynasty, one of the album's highlights, beautifully enhanced by a subdued orchestral backdrop.
But if you guys are more into electric sounds, don't worry though: the LOOSEGOATS haven't totally dropped their old flames. The album's opener Adversity still spits and scalps in an impressive way, and so does the following number Casillero del Diablo, while the great Broken Bay - another standout track - ideally combines manic guitar onslaughts with a softwood melody to an arresting effect.
Some grumpy persons will certainly complain about the fact that a Swedish band could play a music so firmly rooted in American traditions. But who the fuck cares when it's as good as this ?!... (I don't, that's for sure...)
http://www.startracks.se/loosegoats
STARTRACKS: