You might think Goldcure is sort of a silly name for a band – and you’d be right – but when you stop to consider that these guys used to call themselves Lillylock Timber, it doesn’t sound so bad after all. The Austin four-piece’s debut album, Portuguese Prince (names are clearly not this band’s strong suit) tries to wed Wilco, Travis, the Verve, U2, and the Beach Boys; as you might imagine, it comes nowhere near achieving its goals, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad album. In fact, it’s actually surprisingly good – what comes across at first as a rather generic first effort reveals itself, after repeated listens, as a deceptively simple collection of 21st century classic rock songs. The band’s got a knack for stately, slow-building anthems, ringing harmonies, and wide open arrangements – and they lucked out in landing Austin legend Stephen Doster behind the decks, too. Doster, who was working with Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott at the time of his death, says he heard “unfinished business” when he listened to Goldcure – which, as any self-respecting rock nerd could tell you, is pretty heavy praise for a baby band. Damn if they don’t hold up underneath it, though. Goldcure lacks the immediate power of its influences, but give ‘em a few years – and a few more songs like “Rubber Inside” and “Lucky to See” – and they might just get there. (Sorin 2008)
