ALBUM REVIEW: “Mikal Cronin” by Mikal Cronin

September 19. 2011 | By Carnie

Mikal Cronin
Mikal Cronin
[Trouble In Mind]

Honing his under-the-radar talents as guitarist for the Moonhearts (from LA), as well as a close collaborator with Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin unleashes his self-titled solo album from within a crowded rock & roll community and surprisingly floats a few notes above the rest of the field, if only for a brief time.

“Gone” represents Cronin’s colorful marriage among garage, alt-rock, and 60’s So-Cal pop. At the same time, “Green and Blue” feeds off waves of druggy distortion and psychedelic echoes in a glorious trip through Cronin’s destructive state of mind. But, “Again and Again” also has one of those undefinable jingles that reminds me of watching John Lennon’s head bob side-to-side singing “I Want To Hold Your Hand” on YouTube.

The album does stumble in a few areas, but like many of California’s rock revivalists, Cronin’s debut is incredibly loose and feels fresh and innovative on repeated listens.

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