American Music Club: The Golden Age

There's an argument to be made that morbid

songwriting passed Mark Eitzel by years ago. In the wake of followers like Mark

Kozelek and Elliott Smith, who sprang up during American Music Club's

early-'90s heyday, it's no longer revolutionary to craft moody yet tense tunes

that simultaneously subvert rock muscularity and folk wussiness. Since 2004's

comeback album, Love Songs For Patriots, AMC leader Eitzel has had to rely on his

songs and persona alone—which makes The Golden Age even more stunning. His

trademark gloom still dominates, but his ability to bend glacial chords around

pure poetry remains vital. In fact, it's stronger than ever: For every

thunderstorm like "The Decibels And The Little Pills," The Golden Age sports a wry, soulful,

immaculately cut pop gem such as "All The Lost Souls Welcome You To San

Francisco." "A city built by fire trucks / and skeletons who grin and grin,"

Eitzel croons with delicious malice on the latter—and it's hard not to

picture him as one of those grinning skeletons himself.