Review: The Autumn Defense - The Autumn Defense (or) the sun sets on my summer career

Posted on 9 March 2007 | No Comments

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Americana, Pop

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By now virtually everyone should know that the new Wilco album Sky Blue Sky is slated for a May 15th release date on Nonesuch Records with the following tracklist:

1. Either Way
2. You Are My Face
3. Impossible Germany
4. Sky Blue Sky
5. Side with the Seeds
6. Shake it Off
7. Please Be Patient With Me
8. Hate it Here
9. Leave Me (Like You Found Me)
10. Walken
11. What Light
12. On and On and On

MP3 | Wilco – Impossible Germany (Live) Live In Milwaukee
MP3 | Wilco – What Light Sky Blue Sky

What you may not know is that The Autumn Defense (featuring John Stirrat and Pat Sansone of Wilco) already has a new self-titled album out. Like their last album Circles was, their new album is full of AM radio ready pop-rock that recalls the sounds of the 60’s and 70’s. It is the audio equivalent of a sunset in a William Faulkner novel with golden and burned in sepia toned vocal harmonies spilling from the speakers and a hint of relaxed Southern charm. Or is that the glow of the firelight on a cold winters night with just a smidgen of slow jam? Not exactly folk-rock and certainly not adult-contemporary rock, The Autumn Defense (like Wilco) beautifully defies any easy classification.

I had the opportunity to see a stripped down version of the Autumn Defense live a few years ago when the opened for Jeff Tweedy in Chicago, and I’ve been a big fan ever since. Their new self-titled album is out now on Broadmoor Records and certainly deserves a little of your time. RIYL: Simon & Garfunkel, Nick Drake, The Pernice Brothers, etc…

MP3 | The Autumn Defense – Feel You Now S/T
MP3 | The Autumn Defense – We Would Never Die S/T