Age of the Sun
Olivia Tremor Control's Bill Doss takes the revivalist term "sunshine pop" literally on this side project. A semi-concept album on which a general love of life carries Doss over sections he can't jam the solar motif into,Age of the Sundoubles as a show-offy pastiche of bright-eyed '60s sounds that recallsSagittariushere, theOgden's-era Small Faces there. The latter influence, augmented by someRevolver-style bass work, toughens (if that's the word) the sound a bit; as often as not, we're a decisive step or two away from "Green Tambourine" land. Doss even offers a couple of acoustic-based tracks that are more '71 than Summer of Love. Still, there's no shortage of Mellotron, treated piano, toy instruments, fuzz guitar, tape effects, and layers of vocal harmonies. Sincerity and knowingness sit together here, with earnestness winning the day and a mischievous 20-minute voice loop ending it.Ageis ultimately a diversion rather than a masterpiece, but those who like it will like it a lot.--Rickey Wright