Like so many of the most satisfying artists to pass through the Fold, John Gold is neither following a trend nor likely to inaugurate any new ones; he's just another quietly gifted singer-songwriter with a wonderfully self-indulgent, multi-instrumental wanderlust. On his new LP, The Eastside Shake, Gold supports his semisweet chocolate baritone with a slew of idiosyncratic arrangements - a folkie waltz turns into a Harlem-meets-Dixieland jazz joint on "There's a (W)hole," a ham-fisted piano ballad mutates into a Dark Side of the Moon-style synth odyssey on "Breakyoudown," a standard 4/4 beat segues unexpectedly into a seasick 6/8 coda on "Randy" - all musical non sequiturs that reinforce the tone of unaffected sincerity in lyrics like "was it the fucking high school that you went to that made you the cynic?" - LA Weekly Los Angeles-based songwriter john gold has just completed what will no doubt be his breakthrough record. This is a beautiful, soulful collection of songs, arranged with horns, strings, bracing guitars, vintage keyboards, and of course john's singularly expressive voice. His writing - primarily concerned with matters of the heart - has always been strong but he's outdone himself here. Packed with lovely melodies and head-turning examples of his distinctive lyric talent, if this collection doesn't bring mr. gold the wider recognition he's been courting for years, there's just no damn justice in this world. I urge you to check it out. James Combs Producer KCRW newground john gold is a troubadour of rainbow-hued magic whose current lack of a record deal is simply unfathomable. - LA Weekly more song clips at www.johngoldmusic.com