In the beginning,
Norfolk & Western was a project name given to the solo recordings of Oregon-based singer/songwriter
Adam Selzer. Over the course of several albums, however, the project has developed into a proper band, and with
A Gilded Age, it's not even entirely
Selzer's show anymore. Former
Decemberists drummer
Rachel Blumberg is
Selzer's foil now, writing and singing her own sweet-natured indie-folk tunes.
Blumberg's songs, as well as those he co-wrote with
Selzer and bassist Dave Depper, boost the energy level of the album considerably; though a few songs, particularly the closing "A Voice Through the Wall," are in keeping with
Selzer's familiar, haunted and skeletal acoustic tunes; most of
A Gilded Age sounds remarkably like the peppy indie pop of
Blumberg's former band. Utility
Decemberist Chris Funk's varied contributions to these songs are probably a big part of that, as is the increased prominence of longtime keyboardist and accordion player
Tony Moreno. Regardless,
Selzer's reliably dark-edged lyrical sense and minor-key folkiness maintain a link to previous
Norfolk & Western albums that keeps
A Gilded Age from sounding like a calculated shift in musical focus. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide