San Luis Obispo's Candle has come a long way in a short while. In 2005, singer/guitarist Kevin Coons and drummer Paul Frankel (under the Candle name) released "Birds Were Meant To Fly", an album of sleepy experimentation. Come '08, Candle has expanded to a self-contained full band (with bassist Jon Wilson, guitarist Ross Major, and keyboardist Rachel Spotten) with a new musical calling of roots-based rock and country, a la early Wilco and Harvest-era Neil Young. Their newest effort, "Miles and Miles and Miles" is their most confident, album-oriented, and straightforward release yet.
Gorgeous opener "Pennies in a Well" pulls out all the stops - Coons' earnest songwriting is surrounded by an instrumental tapestry - mandolin, piano, harmonica, fiddle, piano, and vocal harmonies, to name a few. Effortlessly, it segues into the excellent "Let Me Love You" (one of the strongest tracks on the album), and everything seems to be going right.
"Pretty Please" is a bright, Technicolor-painted pop song - a bit out of place on the album, perhaps, but it grew on me. The momentum of the album is quickly redeemed by the one-two punch of "Hotel Eyes" and "8th and Pine" - the former a hard-driving and very memorable track, the latter a simple, cheery folk song that brings to mind Hank Williams or the Carter Family.
After all the effortlessness of nearly the first half of the album, we hit a few bumps in the road. The ponderous "So It Goes" feels like a downer - there is kind of a forced "darkness" to the song (note the half baked "apocalyptic" lyrics) which didn't convince me too much. "The Lonesome Wind" could have been a fun, upbeat number, yet it is tarnished by sloppy instrumentation - as the fastest track on the album, it should be tight and forcefully played...it just doesn't sound right. Though it features some stunning fiddle work from guest Zach Angles, everything sounds like it's all over the place and Coons' jarring shout-fest at the end didn't really make things better for me.
Fortunately, the rest of the album keeps a more consistent pace. "Say Goodnight" follows as a relief - featuring a perfect, subtle array of instruments and beautiful vocal harmonies, it's the best song on the album. The strutting, minor-key "Keepin' My Feet On The Ground" keeps the momentum fresh while "Santa Cruz" and "Prisoner's Song" end the album with a bit of melancholy yet a sense of hope. The latter is the musical equivalent of waking up late and wondering how much of the day you've missed. And dig that choir at the end!
Candle really put a lot of work into this album, and it shows - surprisingly fresh, always melodic, it's a solid, self-assured release that holds together just as well as any Harvest or Blood on the Tracks. For its (minor) shortcomings, it's just a really satisfying album to listen to. Good work, Candle.
www.myspace.com/candlemusic
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