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Dusted Reviews
Artist: Golden Triangle Album: Golden Triangle Label: Mexican Summer Review date: Mar. 13, 2009 |
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If you’ve heard of Golden Triangle at this point, it’s most likely because you tried (and failed) to grip a copy of one of this Brooklyn by way of Memphis band’s first couple of records (all of which were quite limited, of course). Catering almost exclusively to record collector types, the last year of their existence seems curiously appropriate for these times: product released, value inflated, public interest piqued. The crash, it would seem, is almost inevitable.
In an attempt to forestall that, Kemado sub-label Mexican Summer has partnered with the band for a self-titled 12”, a nice-enough looking piece of gold-splattered wax that, alas, is already pretty much gone from all reputable dealers and now anxiously awaiting a second life as auction dollar bait. Not a proper LP, Golden Triangle kicks out seven songs in a slight 15 minutes, replaying a whole bunch of things the band already released, along with a fairly decent Red Kross cover.
Those who have been keeping up with recent developments in modern weirdo punk and dirtball garage probably won’t be too surprised by what’s in-store here, save for Golden Triangle’s seeming inclusion of a full-on girl group and some instrumental players more intent on recreating Sonic Youth at their most radio-friendly (somewhere between 1991 and 1993, I would estimate). Overall, it’s a pretty cool sound, and one that pays its highest dividends on a track like “Prize Fighter,” a punched up number that laces its gritty jangle and girl chants with some motorcycle sound effects that sound like they could have been pinched from the Shangri-Las’ “Leader of the Pack.” Also fairly nifty is “Ghosts,” itself the Goo-iest of the tracks on display here, and one that packs a few surprising rhythmic twists and turns as the track’s snarling guitars punch their way through to the front.
Ultimately, though, the band comes across as split, spending most of this rather thin release plying twin infinitives – managing to be both fairly of the times and of a certain carefree approach to bygone eras. That, however, is mostly a conceptual fault; after all, it’s hard to conceive of how two separate releases might be mashed together in the future when you’re plotting them out initially. More than anything, Golden Triangle showcases a band that has a few moves (and quite a live set, apparently), but hasn’t done much in the way of making them memorable just yet.
By Michael Crumsho
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Double Jointer