Golden Curtain: English Tuning (bandcamp)

Given the pedigree of the players here -- guitarist Andrew McKenzie of Grand Prix, drummer Andrew Gladstone of Garageland and non-andrew bassist Matt Baker -- it's no surprise the opener is a big hearted, big chord and incredibly catchy indie-rocker Everything's Fine (it's not) which just makes you want to turn it up and fling the windows open.

Big pop melodies seem to come remarkably easy here (Palace is located between Byrds jangle, the Beatles' lightlydelic Rain and power pop; Make Up Your Mind is another window-opener), but the other string they have is exemplified by the slow country ballad Tumbleweed with gritty'n'glistening guitars which awaits discovery by any number of artists in Austin.

And most of this album is more restrained than that opener and it is the minor moods (the downbeat and moody Not the End, the thoughtful and bitter No One Home, the ballad Ceiling, steel guitar on Captain Cook) which also connect. Having three vocalists also changes the moods on songs.

Gladstone describes Golden Curtain as "an appallingly ramshackle operation when it comes to releasing records and letting people know about them", and if that's the case it's shame.

Those there for the first wave of Flying Nun (Clean/Chills etc) who have turned their mature attention to intelligent alt.rock and indie-country would feel right at home here.

An album you can listen to outside because, believe me, you will fling wide the windows.

This is big sky music. 

You can listen to and buy English Tuning from bandcamp here. Cheap too!