The Goldwyn Experiment
Avenue B
(The Goldwyn Experiment)

Goldwyn Thandrayen is the guitarist of Montreal rock band, Psychocide. On the 11-song, Avenue B, he leads The Goldwyn Experiment on their follow-up to last year’s, Avenue A.

The results are fantastic.

The beautifully mournful Peter Kater-like piano of “Prologue” begins the album, Art Hirahara manning the keys expertly, with Kenny Grohowski finding big rolls alongside him. Evan Gregor’s bowing upright bass features as the song ends. It’s apparent from this tune that the players here are top knotch…and that Thandrayen knows when to step back and let them just do their thing.

“Vodka Tea,” is a poppy electric fusion-meets-Russian-pop tune. It’s a fantastic concoction and the first we hear of Thandrayen’s electric guitar prowess…again there is Grohowski cooking. Then Grohowski and Gregor open the Hendrix-like “Bag of Nails,” with its “na na na” hook informing the big electric funk.

Moving through styles effortlessly, the guys are into a stop and go Kansas-meets-rap on “Sad Boy Summer,” tight groove and Zappa-like vocalizing with piano pushing on “Fast Response,” “Whale Jail” with its organ and guitar managing a surf-like vibe complete with “Sha la la la’s,” and a clean sweet guitar lead and the most melodic vocals of all, on the piano and bass ode of “Arrows.”

“Queen Of The Night,” with its electric piano, laid back beat and big production is second to last, and then Avenue B ends pretty much as it began with Art Hirahara running up and down the piano keyboard, Kenny Grohowski containing thunder and Evan Gregor plucking with his cohorts.

What I really like here, beyond the obvious tasty playing of the musicians, is how The Goldwyn Experiment rolls through a bunch of dffereny stues but manages a singular sound. You should get your ass down to Avenue B but quick!