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Consider how you feel when walking barefoot — the sensation of dewy grass, warm sand, or cool water underneath your soles. Over the course of a career spanning nearly 15 years, Beachwood Sparks have perfected their alt-country gift for evoking such scenarios. The brilliance of the band lies in an innate ability to transport listeners to a picturesque California, enveloping them in an incense-swathed realm of sand, sun, and surf while recapturing the vibrancy and laidback attitude popularized by '60s and '70s Los Angeles. Cosmically in tune and harmony-rich, they excel in presenting their colorful, kaleidoscopic view of the world. The Tarnished Gold, the band's fourth LP and first since 2002, opens with the effortless craftsmanship of "Forget the Song"; as the album progresses, nature continues to be celebrated ("Nature's Light"), and personal relationships explored ("Earl Jean," "Alone Together"), all through tranquil rhythms and Byrds-like harmonies. Perhaps a byproduct of their 11-year hiatus, The Tarnished Gold is a soundtrack to life's better moments — introspective mornings spent reclining in a hammock, carefree afternoons strolling along the shoreline, and late evenings of stargazing.
