Nearly 170 years after the idea of Manifest Destiny fueled westward expansion in the U.S. and turned the west into some kind of idealized haven, the sheen still hasn't quite worn off. Once upon a time, there was nothing out there, just big spaces and big sky, a veritable blank slate that could be anything you wanted to be. No cramped quarters, dumbbell tenements, dirty city streets, just openness and the prospect of self-reliance and the purely unknown - a mystique that somehow made the risk of Indian raids, doomed wagon trains, and soul-consuming isolation  bearable. 

These days, the country has filled in considerably like someone hitting middle-age, and an airplane ride beats horseback any day, but the west still holds an allure for the dreamers, the discontented and the hopelessly landlocked. Taking into consideration the cost of living and day-to-day realities, it's kind of nice to hear about the random luck some people have, like the Golden Animals, a duo half East Coaster and half Swedish who landed themselves a house sitting gig in Southern California.

The product of their stay at Salton Sea is Free Your Mind and Win A Pony, a mere thirty minutes of songs seemingly born of mesas, tumbleweed, and red clay. Thankfully, they managed to understand that their location was something more than a John Wayne movie or Eagles song and instead of channeling cowboy clichés, they created a disc of bluesy rock with the periodic tinge of 70s influence.  There's more Doors on this album than Desperado.

The Steady Roller starts the album off strong with driving drums, ghostly "ahh"s, and of course, the first glimpse of lead singer Tommy Eisner's velvety voice.  Deep and full, Eisner has real character. Unfortunately, he gets a little carried away sometimes in his vocal stylings and there's a certain danger of crossing the line over to goofiness. This happens on the second track, Queen Mary (the Flop).  He sounds like he could be cured with a good smack upside the head, but in any case Eisner keeps it in check the rest of the album.

Most of the Free Your Mind and Win A Pony has a certain bow-legged swagger created by frequently crashing drums, reverb-ed (occasionally slide) guitar, no bass, and highlighted by Linda Beecroft’s light  vocals.  Good examples are the ambling Ride Easy and My My My, both of which also bear the unmistakable imprint of the Mammas and the Papas. 

My My My happens to be one of the better tracks on the album, one that probably best defines their sound and their influences. Other standouts are Try on Me, which is quite catchy, and Follow Me Down. 

On the downside, there's My Friend Bill which carries the theme a little too far and comes across as over the top.  Along those lines, that's where the Golden Animals come up short. Cohesion is a top five goal in making an album, but there's a place where cohesion gives way to a limited range of motion, so to speak, and while each song is its own separate entity, the familial resemblance - if you will - can be underwhelming.  It’s not a fault great enough to condemn an album, but it’s just bad enough to keep it from being great itself. 

To their credit, there’s a lot to be said for what they do well and what they evoke. It’s an enjoyable album, worthy of exploration.  Just watch out for the cactus.

Release date: 04/08/08
Artist website: www.myspace.com/goldenanimals
Label: Happy Parts

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