Gosling--Here Is...

Gosling is…an odd chemistry experiment gone wrong. Bubbling, steaming, but not quite ready to explode, the Washington-state quadruped (the new incarnation of Loudermilk: same faces, different sounds) blends alternative influences like Sunny Day Real Estate, a dash of The Smashing Pumpkins, and even a hint of the White Stripes. The result is, well, a concoction of all their own. Swaggering and brash, Here Is… takes on as many as influences as it can. Muse’s dramatic sound is mimicked at the album’s high points, such as the brilliant "Mr. Skeleton Wings." Songs like "Glass is Empty" adopt a male-version of the Babes in Toylands’ vocal ferocity, and even a Queen guitar solo can be found in "Waiting for the Sun". Genres are switched and melted between songs, even during. "The Burnout" is a good example, beginning as an awkward country-mix but ending up closer to Billy Joel. A few lighter acoustic pieces are sprinkled throughout, and the inclusion of piano and jazz instruments are used well, giving the album a Pink Floyd-like vintage taste. Not that tasting chemistry experiments is condoned, but take a gulp of what Gosling has begun spewing: it’s just odd enough to get you addicted.