YOUNG GUN SILVER FOX – AM Waves (2018)
“AM Waves” is the title of the new album from YOUNG GUN SILVER FOX, the fantastic duo of superb musicians Andy Platts (Mama’s Gun) and Shawn Lee (countless projects, among them Silver Fox, hence the band’s name). Three years ago Young Gun Silver Fox released their their impossible-to-dislike debut album titled West End Coast, presented here at 0dayrox in its Japanese edition.
Now, with “AM Waves”, the superduo continue their unchallenged mastery of bright, undeniably delightful classic WestCoast AOR tunes, a terrific collection of smooth songs full of magic.
Young Gun Silver Fox, a paean to the days when soft rock ruled the waves, feels like a true passion project. That’s a nice way of saying that nobody asked for it, or would have even known to ask for it.
Is there a massive cultural outcry for a modernized tribute to the sounds of McDonald-era Doobie Brothers, Airplay, The Eagles or Hall & Oates? Maybe not, but Platts and Lee are following their own singular muse here, and the end result is sublime, defying description by virtue of its simplicity.
It’s the sound of happy seaside reminiscences, of the sun hitting the surf but not getting in your eyes, of mimosas before noon, all embodied in spacious vocal harmonies, tight grooves and awesome hooks.
The smooth, rich, analog-washed sounds of Young Gun Silver Fox are plenty of Fender Rhodes, clavinets, tight bass lines, and ‘that’ smooth harmonies… all the hallmarks from the classic Westcoast era present here.
Apart from the horns, Lee and Platts handle virtually all the instruments and craft some catchy tunes. There isn’t a single track lacking hooks, and Platts is a rather solid lyricist plus a gifted singer to boot.
Opening track “Midnight in Richmond” is a winner, and from here the album gets better and better.
Young Gun Silver Fox’s new album “AM Waves” brings back the classic Westcoast AOR sounds from the late Seventies / early Eighties but it isn’t a mere exercise of nostalgia, because both musicians add all their knowledge of the music business (Shawn Lee is a renowned producer) and keeps everything refreshingly up-to date.
“AM Waves” is simply delicious. As said, if you love your McDonald-era Doobie Brothers, Airplay, The Eagles, Hall & Oates classic LP’s but also current exponents of the genre such as State Cows, Champlin / Williams / Friestedt, Soleil Moon, Mecca, etc, you need to listen to “AM Waves”.
This is an album for high moods and low, good days and bad, and a sure contender for album of the year in the scarce WestCoast AOR field.
Highly Recommended
You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrox
01 – Midnight in Richmond
02 – Lenny
03 – Take It or Leave It
04 – Underdog
05 – Mojo Rising
06 – Just a Man
07 – Love Guarantee
08 – Caroline
09 – Kingston Boogie
10 – Lolita
Shawn Lee and Andy Platts: all vocals, all instruments
Mark Ashfield: guest Hammond Organ on 6
Ben Greenslade Stanton: horns in 8
BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/Waves-Young-Gun-Silver-Fox/dp/B07BQCMMKB
.
