Top-notch post-grunge radio friendly power pop anyone? Great! We’ve got that covered off.
I was always going to buy Sweet Apple The Golden Age Of Glitter, wasn’t I? released on the rather excellent Tee Pee Records, J Masics and Dave Sweetapple from 1537 stoner faves Witch, ‘green mint opaque’ vinyl*, guest appearances by Mark Lanegan and Robert Pollard and a very casual attitude towards casual lady nudity – it all added up to some money very well spent one lunchtime when it came out back in 2014.
There’s a slightly regretful sunburnt quality to The Golden Age Of Glitter; it’s a glorious cool night after the red-hot day and you can feel that prickling on your skin that tells you that you’ll be suffering tomorrow, but hey that’s tomorrow. Just cue up the swooping ‘I Surrender’, a smart, choppy, rocky, power poppy treat, which sounds just like something you’ve been hearing and loving on the radio for the last 30 years. Or perhaps you would prefer the Weezer-in-a-bad-mood hooks of ‘Troubled Sleep’? J Masics, breaking out from behind his drum kit here to lay down some licks and mini solos that Rick Nielsen would be proud to own.
Honestly folks there is not a bad moment here, Sweet Apple seem incapable of it. The playing is grade A, the rhythm section (Masics and Sweetapple) is fresh and light and the guitars of Tim Parnin and John Petkovic, literally, hit all the right notes driving the songs onwards and upwards without ever being too tempted to overdo the heaviness. Hell, Petkovic even plays vuvuzela on one track (‘We Are Ruins’, I think) and that’s a very good thing. The guesting Lanegan and Pollard do their separate things perfectly on ‘Wish You Could Stay (A Little Longer’ and ‘Reunion’, adding to the general good time drop-in vibe rather than dominating proceedings. Ditto Rachel Haden, who I didn’t know before this, who gilds ‘Let’s Take The Same Plane’ with her great vocals.
If you’re looking for good times then tune your car radio into ‘Under The Liquor Sign’ which goes all Beach Boys meet Sweet on our ass and reminds me of Dinosaur Jr’s great lost track ‘Take A Run At The Sun’** and is all about the fun of hanging out just for the sake of it. Or, for driving off into the sunset in a convertible to, might I suggest the glam-tinged stomper ‘Another Desert Skyline’?
The Golden Age Of Glitter is just one of those albums that sounds great once the sun comes out^, it has me cruising somewhere up near Big Sur the wind whipping through my luxuriant hair, humming along to the car radio, hot chick in the rear-view … rather than stuck in road works in the rain. Okay so this escapism can be a bit knowing, but I can live with that. Just whack on ‘Boys In Her Fanclub’ really loud, stop thinking and sing it like you’re fronting Cheap Trick at the Budokan.
Trust me and here’s to our reunion.
858 Down.
*I’m not very good with colours, so I’ll take their word on that.
**an outstanding work of genius that was from some soundtrack, or other, possibly; I’m too tired to look it up.
^I fully appreciate that those of you from sunnier climes might just enjoy this all year round. Whatever.