“Gold Liquid Mischief” is an album inspired by, written while, and recorded under the influence of drinking. This might seem like it was all fun and shame, and at times it really was, but when your only choice on the matter of drinking is either cheap scotch or cheap bourbon, it begins to drown your soul.â€- From Sidewalk Dave’s Website
Sounds like my kind of band. Fast on the heels of last year’s Songs for Cowards, Gold Liquid Mischief is a solid step forward for the band. Sidewalk Dave borrows from the folk noir tendencies of Brooklyn’s Andy Friedman and funnel it into their own brand of folk rock debauchery. The record opens with “weird word for strange†a song that bursts from the speakers with bright chords worthy of the Byrds (or Superchunk for that matter). This emergence of a more “indie-rock†sound is probably the biggest musical difference from their debut. Don’t be mislead though, this is still the same frayed folk rock outfit that made Songs for Cowards. The lonesome dirges that made that album so distinctive are still present, but occasionally the band bends toward something else entirely, as if the Avett Brothers had infiltrated Pavement. And then drank a lot of whiskey.
For a recording made on the back of a handle of Old Grand Dad Bourbon, the record come across as exceedingly well put together. Though not quite the bright full sound of a ‘professional recording studio’, it sounds pretty damn good.  And given the overriding theme of the record, an occasional lo-fi haze of sound isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The keyboards in particular help out, as they jump out in the mix adding a pop sensibility to several songs. Overall, an impressive sophomore record from this New Haven, CT based band. Check them out here or here. You can stream the record (for free!) or buy it (for a donation!) here.
RIYL:Â Andy Friedman, Tom Waits, Bright Eyes, Rock N Roll
About the author: Specializes in Dead, Drunk, and Nakedness..... Former College Radio DJ and Current Craft Beer Nerd