When you think of experimental Country bands I guess the prototypes are the Grateful Dead and Gram Parsons Flying Burrito Brothers. Later came X and Cowboy Junkies and then bands like the Jayhawks and Uncle Tupelo to carry on the tradition and push the envelope. Nowadays with Country music glossing over into the Mainstream, all a band has to do now to sound experimental is to play it traditional. Somewhere in the vortex of these fine bands and the old school steel guitar and harmonica comes the laid back southern California quartet, Beachwood Sparks. A band that has as much fun bashing through genre's as Beck. (Interestingly Beck is a huge fan, and has invited them to open some of his southern Cal Midnite Vulture shows).

It took me a while to warm up to this record--it doesn't blow you away. You have to give it quite a few spins before you get it. Chris Gunst's frail and effeminate vocals, caused me to check a website to find out if Chris is a he or a she. Chris is a he. One minute it's the Beach Boys, the next Neil Young, then they break out the jangling Rickenbacher's and it's the Beatles, the Byrds and the Kinks (circa 1966). The album remains soothing and calm, throughout and even when they take up the tempo and let it ramble on "Sister Rose"--it never strains the ear.

None of the fellas are particularly gifted musicians, but they're fearless--and if you give yourself over to their mellow mantra--you won't notice. Fearless and laid-back--Beachwood Sparks makes it work.