Pronto
All Is Golden
Contraphonic
A band that comprises current/former members of established acts is a great addition to the Six Degrees of Steve Albini game, but doesn’t always speak to how the group sounds. Mikael Jorgenson, the full-time keyboardist for Wilco, formed Pronto with Greg O’Keeffe and a cast of musicians snagged from the ranks of Iron & Wine, Cat Power, Childballads, and Califone among others. If “indie Americana” is screaming at you right now, put on the breaks. Or at least start coasting. It’s a solid line-up, but what it amounts to when you throw in the album is that this is simply a group of professionals. Not an up-and-coming bright-eyed band, not a “one-off” project. This stuff is well executed 1970s AM gold, sincere in it’s intent and successful in their endeavor. Nicely layered vocals, keyboard (natch), and gentle (but not wimpy) guitars glide out of the speakers very evenly. It’s a pristinely mixed album, with no one facet dominating over the others. Fans of the quintessential John Sebastian or the sound more modernly mined by the Webb Brothers will dig this release. There’s some fluff/pap/rock-lite material but overall it’s pleasant, and when the band connects with some rich melodies (“When I’m On The Rocks”) and hooks (“Monster”) it’s going to perk up your ears like only a classic radio hit does (or used to do).
-- Mark Hughson
Pronto at Santos Party House, NYC, NOV 2008
Comments