Philly power pop group
the Capitol Years kept
Pussyfootin on hold since its 2000-2001 recording date so as to not detract from the rocker image created by their minor-league smash, Meet Yr Acres. With the Jewelry Store EP having established their cred and the 2003 might of garage revival waning,
the Capitol Years thought it best to reveal their deeper West Coast folk leanings. The album features a fingerpicked, slide guitar-laced cross between fringe-era
Byrds, more
Dylan-oriented
Tom Petty, and song-structured moments of
the Dead. The soft harmonies of opener "Old Crow" recall
Simon & Garfunkel, while handclaps and swirls of acoustic and electric guitar set the dusty alt-country atmosphere that dominates the album. Midtempo psych-folk songs like "Faces and Beer" and "Hookers" mix with a series of old-timey instrumentals and a few sparse singer/songwriter moments, like "Talk Walk," that showcase leader Shai Halperin's
Dylan-fixated delivery and tremendous talent for weaving his breathy vocals into soft strums. While packaged successfully as a full-length,
Pussyfootin is raggedly lo-fi enough to be a collection of inspired outtakes. Either way,
the Capitol Years would do well to bring a bit of this back in for the new year. ~ Daphne Carr