The Weight Band: Shines Like Gold
With roots in Woodstock, N.Y., and direct ties to The Band—member Jim Weider was their post-Robbie Robertson guitarist for 15 years and was also in Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble Band—The Weight Band wears their main inspiration on their collective sleeve. In our review of their 2018 album, we wrote that they “detour just far enough away from the source to convince a listener that The Weight Band has the goods to expand in other directions.” Shines Like Gold would seem to prove our instincts correct: While the new collection is very much in the spirit of their heroes, they’ve come a long way in establishing a distinctive approach. Produced by Colin Linden, their latest effort both addresses worldly issues and relates local lore; it falls smack into the Americana tradition but it’s bold enough to step outside of it too. “Weight of the World,” authored by Weider, takes it from the top: “Build tomorrow with blood and tears/ And make the weight of the world disappear,” keyboardist Matt Zeiner sings, to a hooky beat that does Levon proud. The title track, too—this one sung by bassist Albert Rogers—sees possible hope: “Don’t cry Josephine, I see the sun on the horizon/ There’s a new dawn rising, and it shines like gold.” It’s as catchy as anything the Eagles might’ve tossed out there, and probably richer in spirit. Let’s see where they go from here.
