September 8, 2011
http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20110909/ENTERTAINMENT04/109090346/Buckingham-wanders-solo-outing?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|s
Brian Passey
"Seeds We Sow" by Lindsey Buckingham 2.5 stars
Why is it that many classic rockers never seem to live up to their glory days? Does the creativity seemingly run out?
This isn't true with all of them. Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and Neil Young have released some of their best work in the past 15 years.
Then there's the Doobie Brothers, America and even Paul McCartney. Although they've had a few great songs in the last couple of decades, they don't even come close to matching the hits of their younger years.
Unfortunately, Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac fame falls into the latter category. He has released some interesting music in recent years but none of it measures up to classics like "Big Love" and "Go Your Own Way."
His latest solo effort (and he's seriously solo here, writing and playing nearly every note himself), "Seeds We Sow," does find him branching out some but still falling short.
The solo show may have been a poor choice in some aspects - like the recording part. The title track seems to go alternately soft and loud in a way that probably couldn't be described as "studio creativity."
While the intricate guitar work is lovely throughout the album, some of the tracks leave you wanting a little more musical depth beyond the layered acoustic guitar and Buckingham's echoing vocals. The tracks that do have more going on like "Illumination" and "That's The Way Love Goes" definitely stand out.
Overall the songs do seem to illustrate more variety than 2008's "Gift of Screws." "When She Comes Down" is simply lovely and "End of Time" might be a bit cheesy but it's still a pretty little ballad. Then there's that riveting, sputtering electric guitar solo on "One Take" - an especially welcome aspect that saves the otherwise forgettable track.
While Buckingham is a classic rocker struggling to find his way in a modern rock world, Blitzen Trapper's Eric Earley is a modern rocker embracing the allure and attitude of classic rock.
Earley, the primary songwriter and vocalist, first caught our attention with 2008's breakthrough album and single, both called "Furr." With that album, Blitzen Trapper joined other indie bands in a new wave of Americana.
With 2010's "Destroyer of the Void," Earley sounded as if he wanted to try something new but was afraid to leave the winning formula of "Furr" behind. Finally with the new "American Goldwing," Blitzen Trapper has perfected the indie Americana classic rock sound.
This is an album The Band or Buffalo Springfield could be proud of. There are a couple of slight missteps, but for the most part it's a collection of near-perfect tunes full of melody, rhythm and pedal steel.
Blitzen Trapper hinted at this new direction in 2010's gorgeous "Sadie," one of the best songs of the year. Earley seemed to channel elements of both Lennon and Dylan while combining it with his own more modern contributions.
That's the magic of "American Goldwing." The songs have a "classic" feel but they don't sound old.
"Fletcher" is good ol' Southern rock while the aptly-named "Street Fighting Sun" channels elements of the Rolling Stones and the White Stripes. Meanwhile the title track is a motorcycle anthem that would have been perfect on the soundtrack to "Easy Rider."
A harmonica and banjo paint bluegrass backgrounds for "I Love The Way You Walk Away" and "Taking It Easy Too Long" while the pedal steel whines out sad country tales but they all just provide atmospherics to a couple of pop rock Americana triumphs.
Even "Astronaut" has a nice country romp sound that would make Levon Helm proud. Then Earley drops just the kind of lyrics that we've come to expect from him: "'Cause I'm an astronaut on the shores of the this grand illusion."
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