It’s been a long time since we heard Tam Johnstone, aka The General Store. In 2002, the album “Local Honey” was a nice Brydsian slice of west coast pop. It took over four years to get to “Mountain Rescue” – but it sure as hell is worth the wait. The growth and maturity is evident in this new album and with help from a host of guest musicians it’s the most intricately crafted pop album I’ve heard all year. Starting out the gate with “Early Morning Fuzz,” it evokes “Harvest Era” Neil Young, The Byrds, Curt Boechetter and Elton John. The next track,”Come Around” really gets The Eagles, Buffalo Springfield, CSN&Y vibe perfect, as it could have fallen off of “Deja Vu.” The remaining tracks here start to allow Beach Boys influence to creep in. “Mountain Side” is the best Carl Wilson track he never made, with a slow slide guitar driving the melody and it’s simply gorgeous. A more overt Brian Wilson, Wondermints-type slow ballad, “Girls From The Mall” is similar in tone and approach to “The Warmth of The Sun.” The lyric here is the kicker, as the “bleak panorama of suicide” hovers over the scene. “Desert Weathered Highway” is another country flavored tune with catchy beat and it’s classic Eagles-styled pop. For you Beach Boys fans, “Nothing Can Come Between Us” is an opus that would fit perfectly on “Smile” and it will give you goosebumps on first listen.Every song here is a winner, as I could ramble about on and on about each one, but I’ll stop here. Easy pick for the Top Ten Album of 2008. Don’t miss it.
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