Taking cues from Dylan, Nick Drake, and their obvious nod to Neil Young, as well as American contemporaries Grandaddy and Mercury Rev, the Oxford, England quintet Goldrush manages to inject their English garage-style indie rock into a light hearted and soulful blend of country rock and folk.
During a stateside tour in 2004, an overheated van led to a breakthrough in their songwriting and helped them further shape their identity as a band. Their van shit the bed in a small desert Texas town, called Ozona. After a long night and day of boozing at the nearest watering hole (a hunting lodge), and a few gun lessons, the boys were inspired by this American tumbleweed town. The polished, polite English feel of 2002’s debut, don’t bring me down was replaced by a more rugged and organic American feel. They decided to honor this small town naming their new record, Ozona.
The fuzzy guitar on the opening track, “Wait for the wheels,” and the strumming on “There’s a world,” is definitely reminiscent of Young, and the vocals remind me of a high pitched country Mike Ness. And more down tempo songs like “Let you down” sounds like they sat in with Mazzy Star. The record tends to drag a little in places, but their ability to change up the landscape without drastically altering the sound or the feel distracts you from wanting to skip to the next track.
