Goldebriars

he Goldebriars' debut album is clean-cut folk-pop with bright, high female-male harmonies, sometimes foreshadowing the searing high harmonic blends typical of group member (and arranger) Curt Boettcher's later rock productions. At other times it sounds innocuous in a dated way, and redolent of those musical acts that straddle the line between wholesome school assembly entertainment and choruses for commercial jingles. That's a criticism that could be levied at some of Boettcher's more famous work, too, but it's much more pronounced here. It's nonetheless a little more interesting than the usual generic commercial major label folk-pop albums of the dying days of the folk revival, with more of a rhythmic drive (including bass and a bit of tambourine) than many such period recordings. There's a decent variety of material, from traditional folk standards like "No More Auction Block" and singalong spirituals like "Old Time Religion" to originals and "He Was a Friend of Mine." ~ Richie Unterberger|