“Bible Thumper”
from the album Bodies of Water
2008
iTunes
Despite being active for a few years, Solid Gold remains one of the best-kept secrets of the Minneapolis music scene. That may change with the coming of their first LP Bodies of Water, which kicked off in style with a well-attended CD release party at Varsity Theater, drawing over three hundred people.
The album contains eleven tracks, two of which were released on their previous EP Who You Gonna Run To?. Though mainly electronic, it doesn’t give due justice to dismiss Solid Gold’s music as simply that. Psychedelic, rock, pop, and even some club flavors permeate the mix, creating a lush and distinctly recognizable sound.
Though released in the winter, Bodies of Water is undoubtedly best suited for a summer night out on the town. Straddling the divide between dark and dance-worthy, the album definitely has the mark of its producer Ryan Olcott. Olcott, who is known around Minneapolis for his band Mystery Palace, is an electronic music veteran who likely was a defining factor in helping this record sound familiar without being generic.
Production wise, Bodies of Water was artfully executed. The synthesizers are thick, the percussion punchy and aggressive, and the vocals distant and eerie. The composition and arrangement of the songs feels very mature for a band’s first record. Somewhere and somehow, there’s an inkling of instant classicality.
Though there are many great tracks on the record, none of them stand out nearly as much as
“Neon Rose.” A furious song with an infectious beat, it contrasts highly with a lot of the more straightforward material on the album. Other notable tracks include “Get Over It,” “Who You Gonna Run To?,” and “Calm Down,” which all collaboratively showcase the diversity of the band’s material.
The only major issue worth mention sonically is the record’s over-compression. For the uninitiated, compression works by setting a limit for how loud sound can get while raising quiet parts of a song. Basically, the lowest and highest volume levels of a song are on average closer together. Compression is standard practice and can do a lot of good when used properly, but it is clear that the quality of the record has unfortunately suffered from an avoidable mistake. That being said, it doesn’t stop Bodies of Water from ultimately being a very successful project.
Solid Gold is a definite contender for the next big thing to come out of Minnesota. Already featured on prominent blog sites and handpicked by The Ting Tings to support them for their show in Minneapolis a few months prior, the strength of their new album is likely to carry the band far. For fans of New Order, VHS or Beta, or The Cure, you’ll likely find Solid Gold an absolute treasure.