Above the Golden State

Above the Golden State
Sparrow Records

There is a laid-back pop-rock butteriness to Above the Golden State’s self-titled debut, an effect in many songs similar to that which has stirred the smiles of Weezer fans for more than a decade and one the Portland, Ore.-based band acknowledges. But that effect, combined with worshipful beachside harmonies, creates a unique aesthetic, one needed in today’s contemporary Christian music scene. “We’re doing our best not to call it surf-rock,” explained frontman Michael Watson. “But yeah, basically, it’s that with a touch of the rainy Northwest” — and a touch of the British-band Keane. Despite the talent required to so deftly meld such original influences, Above the Golden State has only one aim in mind for their music: “to fix the ‘gaze of our soul’ on Jesus.”