CD Review

A collection of mostly forgettable songs with their hearts in the right place, Twilight Tales from the Prairies of the Sun suffers from sounding like a bit of everything without ever finding substance. The opening track, “Better Love,” with its infectious melody doubled on the guitar, starts off promisingly, but like most other songs on the album, meanders away into a shadow of itself.

This album was made with the help of those involved in the making of the Grateful Dead’s American Beauty, and you can tell, but it unfortunately also highlights the band’s weak songcraft, and uninspired instrumentation. You won’t be finding a “Box of Rain” or a “Brokedown Palace” on this album. but you will find jamming pretensions shrouded in faux country shuffle that imitates, but can’t match. And there is so much a Santana sound all over tracks like “The Lee Baby Simms Show: Episode 1” and “Gypsy Waves”, it’s sad. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Steel Train is the atonal, sometimes even Morrisey-like delivery of singer Scott Irby Ranniar, but most often it just sounds weak. Jack Antonoff’s guitar-playing is certainly accomplished, but it's strictly by the numbers. Overall, Twilight Tales from the Prairies of the Sun seems like an honest try by an under-developed talent, that isn’t quite up to snuff. There is still plenty of time for Steel Train to grow into something more interesting; at least we can hope.

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