In Utah This Week October 2006
"There is much to like in the twangy-pop of Golden
Shoulders. For one thing, they meet my mom’s
requirements that songs should be built to dance
and sing along with. “Friends and Family” and
“Daughters” (see the theme?) are hummable, foot-
tapping examples of their high move-ability, while
“Golden Rules” and “Be Warned” turn down the
tempo in favor of harmonious balladry."
Keenly Observed July 2006
"Golden Shoulders' latest EP opens with a bang...
From there, this Northern California collective
delivers an all too brief, easy to love intersection of
sweet harmonies, bouncy piano melodies, and
Kline's acerbic, yet relaxed, songwriting. A lush,
vigorous, ear-caress, this deserves to be played on a
loop: its one of the most appealing recordings in
recent memory"
Sacramento News and Review
"...“Daughters” is a piano-driven head-bopper that
turns John Mayer’s similarly named (and much
worse) song on its head, exhorting girls to “lock up
your mothers.” A glossy pop sheen of production
provided by Deathray’s Dana Gumbiner is the
perfect touch; Kin is for summer driving with the top
down."
Arcata Times-Standard
...The songs on “Kin” actually are great from get-go:
The opening track, “Friends and Family,” delivers
everything you need from a pop song in less than
two minutes, and the crystal-clear production makes
the short EP a breezy, happy listen."
Transform Online
"...Kin, is 13 minutes of brilliant homage to pop
innovators, with nods to The Beatles and Gram
Parsons managing to commingle – sometimes
within the same track – without sounding confused
or derivative."
Soundgirl.com
"This 5-song EP from Golden Shoulders clocks in at
just a little over twelves minutes long, which is just
long enough to get you hooked. This is jaunty,
poppy, perfectly-produced indie-rock brimming over
with pianos, harmonicas, and exceedingly clever
lyrics. Now, if Golden Shoulders can just channel
this charisma into a full-length release, the world is
theirs for the taking."
CMJ New Music Monthly June 2006 (#140)
"Golden Shoulders offer a sunnier, more upbeat
version of the indie folk Northern California has been
producing like wildfires. All five songs on the EP are
about family, culminating with the line "all of my
friends and family are remarkable people." Can we
borrow yours, guys?"
Adapt Magazine Summer 2006
"Whether it’s Kline’s clamorous, vindicating lyrics or
the compassionate instrumentation backing him,
Kin is nothing shy of a wholesome example of how
smoothly Adam Kline can pilot his prodigious outfit
known as Golden Shoulders."
Kill The Noise Summer 2006
"...the 13 minutes themselves display a masterful
hand at pop songwriting from ringleader Adam Kline
and his loosely arranged, ever revolving group of
musicians. The five tracks run a confident musical
path, starting out with a quirky upbeat tune, splitting
the disc with a loping, dare I say melancholy
number and ending things with an uplifting, “ride off
into the sunset” type of track."
Shake Your Fist August 9, 2006
"Daughters" has a neat, trim piano motif you could
build a song around. Which Golden Shoulders has
done well....Singer Adam Kline is a storyteller
smiling through his teeth, his medium lending itself
to his message. Which is? Whatever you wish.
Though I may be getting too old for it, I'll take the
evergreen theme of rejecting authority."
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