Astralwerks
2005
The Golden Republic
About This Album
On their full-length debut for Astralwerks, Lawrence, KS, combo Golden Republic snap glam influences (David Bowie, the T. Rex preen of "You Almost Had It" and "She's So Cold") and some fashionable dance-punk overtures (strutty basslines, the occasional trebly organ filigree) onto an indie guitar band chassis. Ben Grimes sings in an arch, slightly affected voice that splices Thom Yorke into the Killers' Brandon Flowers. His stutters and "oh-ooh-oh"s are pretty convincing on "Full of Yourself," "NYC," and "Robots," despite trite lyrics ("You do not feel alive/Because you're so depressed..."). And even if Golden Republic sound a lot like their slender, suit-wearing contemporaries, Grimes and his mates still manage some uniqueness. "I'll Do Anything" has a wide-open lead guitar line and a modified Britpop stomp, while "Things We Do" is a chilly sort of ballad with a great sluggish arrangement. Sure, you start humming Radiohead songs when you hear it. But it's nevertheless a nice song that shows some variety from the songs about flashy-eyed scene-makers and dead-end drinkers that populate other areas of Golden Republic. Ultimately, that GR is in a pack of groups plying a catchy, wiry, and boldly referential sound is the impression they make. A few tweaks here and there -- more emphasis on the cello or acoustic guitar parts that surface here and there, for example -- might give the band's next effort more stylistic punch. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
Track List (try tracks 1,3,5,7 and 9)

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