Places play a big role in most people's lives. It's not surprising that Mark Eitzel's hometown San Francisco is more often than not referred to in American Music Club's music including Golden Age.
"All My Love" is pleasantly gentle in every way. Mark Eitzel sings the words in this song with so much conviction. It has the same musical mood as "Fearless" from their 1994 LP San Francisco.
Golden Age contains some simple but noteworthy drumbeats that are heard in "The Sleeping Beauty", "Windows on the World" and "Decibels and the Little Pills". New drummer Steve Didelot surely made his presence felt here and there.
I find it perplexing that AMC manage to come up with ear-candy tunes such as San Francisco's "I Broke My Promise" and "Johnny Mathis' Feet" from the much darker Mercury. As for Golden Age, its gotta be "Who You Are".
When Mark sings 'Later on I said to Kid/Hey look at me' in "Windows on the World", he sounded more like Knopfler rather than Eitzel. Mark Eitzel quips 'Your magic power is to disappear before you leave me in your will/Is the only blessing that you don't fear the only prayer you know God is sure to fill?' in the engaging horn-accompanied "I Know that's Not Really You".
Every chorus from "On My Way" entails some psychedelic guitar. For me, this album ends with "On My Way". Final track "The Grand Duchess of San Francisco" could easily have been omitted.
AMC has a respectable longevity (entering their third decade in releasing albums) that may very well drown some senile musicians. Golden Age might hint at some wrinkles on their skin but it also signifies that AMC can age gracefully.
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