Amidst swerving violins, a resonant, weaving pump organ and a perky little banjo, stands Norfolk & Western’s singer/guitarist Adam Selzer. With a clear and precise delivery, which comes unmarred by pretension or affectation, Selzer presides over the numbers on A Gilded Age with an unflinching, almost sober lucidity. A charming frontman with an easy presence, Selzer and his Portland-based band mates—which includes Selzer’s girlfriend, Rachel Blumberg of The Decemberists—waltz through the eight tracks on this E.P. with timeless aplomb. The gentle folk of “Porch Destruction� is a slow burning mediation about how wrecking balls can’t really erase history. The title track employs a prowling bass line and an accusing banjo to make its point about globalization. “There Are No Places Left For Us� is a creaky instrumental that has a haunting elegance.
Elsewhere, Blumberg handles vocal duties on the soporific “Minor Daughter,� which is loaded with a wobbly grace; “Clyde & New Orleans� is a ballad about belated justice; and “We Were All Saints� imagines an explosive escape from the suburbs. Theatrical in spots, moody in others, A Gilded Age is an unexpected delight.
(Release date: April 11, 2006)
