Album: The Autumn Defense

The Autumn Defense, Broken Horse

It is hard to recommend most "side project" records. Shorn of their creative driving force, backing musicians merely demonstrate why they are kept in the background, and release albums of interest only to completists. But Wilco are no ordinary group, so it stands to reason that this record by bassist John Stirrat and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone is no ordinary side-project. Taking 1970s AOR as their avowed inspiration, the Autumn Defense's third album is pure, mellow gold that sounds like Crowded House, Manassas and Simon and Garfunkel blended together as a big soft-rock smoothie.

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