Below The Branches, Kelley Stoltz
Kelley Stoltz might be called the thirteenth Beach Boy, but that depends on whether you believe that Uncle Jesse from Full House was actually a member, or think that he was just a drummer. Regardless, Uncle Jesse was a great uncle and a fine husband, and was a huge influence on the band, particularly in their early days.
In turn, the Beach Boys, along with dinosaurs like Phil Spector and Echo and the Bunnymen, are heavy influences over San Franciscan “troubadour” Kelley Stoltz. And while these days anytime the word “troubadour” is mentioned, TwoThousand collapses on the floor and twitches until it is revived with smelling salts, Stoltz’ new album BENEATH THE BRANCHES is a decent antidote to many of the mangy minstrels chasing our hearts.
Out on Sub Pop, the album is at its best when the tracks sound the most blunt. By recording much of the album onto an old analogue 8-track in his apartment and on the road, Stoltz manages to keep the vocals sounding untamed enough to match his improvisational style, such as on 'Birdies Singing'. But at other times tracks like 'The Sun Comes Through' and 'Ever Thought of Coming Back', take the album dangerously close to the clichés that might scare away cautious listeners who have finally dared to dip their toes into the folk rock pond. The pounding piano’s on nearly every single track also occasionally give the album the feel of a scratched Ben Folds record. With some more musical variety and a starker vocal, TwoThousand thinks that Stoltz could be the next Brian Wilson…or at least the next John Stamos.
By Jan Bunny
Release: Album
To Cure: The hangover
Keywords: Psych, Rock, Folk, Pop, San Francisco
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