Young Gun Silver Fox's 'Ticket to Shangri-La' - Album Review

Despite knowing a lot about rock and metal music I do not think that I will ever be truly satisfied when it comes to the extent of my knowledge. There are so many bands out there that I have been meaning to check out for years, but there an even greater number that I have never even heard of. One person cannot possibly hear everything, but my aim is to hear as much as possible during my life. One genre that I have been exploring a lot over the past few years is yacht rock - which was not something that I was that familiar with until fairly recently. It all started back in 2017 when I finally began to delve into Steely Dan's music, but my interest in the genre was really sparked when I saw a two-part documentary series on BBC4 here in the UK called I Can Go for That: The Smooth World of Yacht Rock. I had often thought that yacht rock was just another term for what I tend to call AOR - so melodic rock bands in the vein of Journey and Foreigner. This documentary series proved me wrong, though, and it turned me on to a lot of bands that I was really only familiar with in passing. Steely Dan featured throughout, but watching the programme made me a fan of The Doobie Brothers, Daryl Hall & John Oates, and Christopher Cross - and since then I have amassed a decent collection of yacht rock albums from a range of artists. The smooth West Coast sound has become a real favourite of mine in recent years, as it is a genre that can essentially be listened to at any time and it is not at all demanding. Despite this, though, the musicianship throughout the genre is often stellar. Lots of the famed studio musicians of the 1970s and 1980s contributed to many of the best-known yacht rock classics - so the production values are often top-notch. Sadly, too, it is also a genre that does not really exist in a big way today, with most of the best-known examples of the sound coming out in the 1970s and 1980s. Earlier this year, though, I was turned onto a newer band who are keeping the sound alive - and the moment that I listened to Young Gun Silver Fox's 2020 release Canyons I knew that they were a band for me. Made up of multi-instrumentalists and songwriters Andy Platts and Shawn Lee, Young Gun Silver Fox have been releasing albums in the West Coast style since they released their appropriately-titled debut album West End Coast in 2015. AM Waves followed in 2018, with Canyons then dropping in 2020. Platts and Lee both have other musicial endeavours, and it seems that Young Gun Silver Fox is a bit of a side project for both of them, but the band has been gaining traction of late - also becoming a touring entity when schedules allow. Clearly wanting to keep their strong run of albums going, back in October the duo released their fourth album Ticket to Shangri-La. I am yet to hear AM Waves as it seems hard to track down on CD, but Ticket to Shangri-La is certainly on a par with the excellence of both West End Coast and Canyons - with the band's modern take on yacht rock sounding as smooth and catchy as ever.

As has been the case on the band's previous three albums, Platts takes the role of the band's lead singer and principal songwriter, whilst also chipping in instrumentally. Lee is the generally the main instrumentalist and producer, but he also contributes to the songwriting, too. Most of what is heard throughout Ticket to Shangri-La comes from either Platts or Lee, but there are some guest musicians utilised throughout - generally when a horn section is employed. The opening track, though, Still Got it Goin' On is somewhat more collaborative - with multi-instrumentalist Nichol Thomson co-writing the song with Platts as well as handling the bass guitar, keyboard, and horn duties. Thomson has collaborated with the band before, and the opening cut is a great example of the modern yacht rock sound that Young Gun Silver Fox have cultivated - if somewhat ballsier. It opens with an upbeat keyboard melody, before a drum and bass groove kicks in - accented by dramatic horn stabs. The band's Steely Dan influence is on full display here, and the song's opening is surprisingly hard rocking for Young Gun Silver Fox - but it still very much feels at home in the band's canon. As soon as Platts starts singing, though, the trademark smoothness arrives. Nichol's fluid bass playing holds everything together, whilst chiming Rhodes piano and the grittier guitar playing of Lee adds depth - particularly during the chorus, which is harder and groovier thanks to this riffing. Platts has the perfect voice for this type of music, and his layers of harmonies bring the late 1970s to life - and the chorus is laced with soul as a result. A brief, effects-heavy guitar solo adds a little music divergence in the song's mid-section - whilst a final reprise of the catchy chorus establishes the band's melodic traits as the track comes to a close. West Side Jet is next and the song is much smoother, with the horn section of the previous track gone. As such, it sounds like pure yacht rock - and it is a great representation of Young Gun Silver Fox's sound. The verses are filled with acoustic guitars and pulsing bass lines, whilst Platt channels Boz Scaggs with a similarly-scratchy vocal performance. He smooths things out for the chorus, though, which sounds much bigger. The song really opens up here, but the acoustic guitar base remains - even if there is a halo of keyboards around everything at this point. A bridge section sees even smoother vocals, with Platt deploying some higher-pitched harmonies - before Lee launches into a busy, yet very memorable, acoustic guitar solo. Tip of the Flame is similar, but the horn section returns to add some brass grooves which are very Toto-esque in style. The song is not as rocking as the album's opening, and the horn section is used more sparingly and subtly this time - and this allows the laid back grooves of the song to shine. Those who like the more laid back pop rockers which Toto wrote like Waiting for Your Love will instantly find a lot to like here, as the overall style is similar. Platts' vocal performance throughout is extremely whimsical, and his layers of vocal harmonies create a larger-than-life sound despite the song sounding pretty laid back throughout. A short, synth-led bridge section adds a modern twist to the sound, though, but on the whole the track is very much classic yacht rock in style.

The band have written a number of very catchy songs at this point in their career, but perhaps their catchiest yet is the single Rolling Back - which is my favourite cut here. It is an extremely infectious, upbeat pop rocker with a staccato bass groove throughout - but the layers of instruments throughout mean that each listen reveals something different. As is typical for the band, there are quite a lot of acoustic guitars throughout - but electric guitars provide the main melodic hooks, whilst keyboards add so many textures. Perhaps the most yacht rock moment on the album comes with the song's bridge, too, which features driving Rhodes chords - and I always expect Michael McDonald to start singing with the band at this point. It is a real throwback, but it sounds great - and it is not even the song's best part. This accolade goes to the chorus, which is so poppy that is sticks in the brain from the off. Platts proves that McDonald is not needed here - and his vocals throughout are so smooth that the hooks just ooze out of the speakers. Simple Imagination almost knows that it cannot really follow the excellence of Rolling Back, so it slows the pace down considerably and goes for a strong ballad-esque vibe. As is typical of the band's sound, though, the song is still very groove-based. The bass is one of the most important instruments here as always, whilst the horn section is once again employed to help accent some of the passages nicely. There is even a short saxophone solo this time, courtesy of Andy Ross, and this really helps to turn the clock the back to the 1970s - if Platt's sultry chorus vocal hooks have not already done so. I tend to prefer the band more upbeat, but these slower songs still work well - and the slower grooves and the presence of the horn section throughout makes it another memorable cut. Sierra Nights opens in a similar manner, but the arrangement contains a lot more acoustic guitars throughout. They are basically ever-present in the mix, constantly adding depth to the song - whilst the pulsing bass again lays the foundation, and a glockenspiel is broken out for a chiming instrumental section. Despite how layered the song is, though, the focus throughout is still on Platt's vocals. His voice is always pushed to the fore, and his self-harmonising is once again on point. This is one of the songs where he takes on much more of the instrumental responsibility, too, and his subtle guitar solo helps to add some additional bite. Lodestar is perhaps less laid back, as Lee's drums throughout are punchier, but on the whole the song is still extremely smooth and nowhere near as upbeat as the songs that opened the album. There is a lot more atmosphere this time, though, with a strong keyboard presence throughout - as well as the occasional cutting, bluesy guitar lead and the ever-present acoustics. The song is perhaps less catchy vocally, but there are still some strong hooks throughout - with the chorus in general being more atmospheric than out-and-out pop, even if the song's closing moments do up the pace a little.

Winners is another Steely Dan-inspired track, and it perhaps has the album's best overall bass groove - as well as a great use of horns. The horns are used in a more mournful manner this time, rather than as a hard-hitting horn section, but their occasional bursts of melody are extremely effective. They add so much to the song, which is still smooth even though there is something of a creeping darkness throughout. The aforementioned bassline is a big part of this darkness, whilst Platts revisits some of the Scaggs-inspired vocals from earlier in the album - utilising his lower register more. He still unleashes some higher-pitched vocals when needed, but generally the song feels weightier thanks to his lower notes - and the overall downbeat vibe enhances this, alongside a harmonica solo from Pat Levitt which only adds to the overall mournful nature of the song thanks to the sound of the instrument. Starting Wars is somewhat similar, but the pace feels more deliberate and lumbering this time. There is less smoothness, and the bass is much more staccato in nature here - with ensures that Lee's drum beat is quite different from many of the others used throughout the album. Despite this difference, the song still feels at home on the album. The general mix of instruments used is very typical of the band's sound, with the Rhodes getting another big workout throughout. Acoustic guitars once again add depth, but it is the electric piano that arguably drives the song - even more so than the bass. The Rhodes was such a big part of yacht rock, so it is fitting that Young Gun Silver Fox utilise the instrument so much. This song showcases what it can do, whilst also being filled with lots of other layers that reward repeated listens. Many of the songs here are like this, but Starting Wars could be one of the most layered tracks on here, and it is one that has grown me a lot as a result. The album then comes to a close with Freak Flag, which is much more upbeat - and returns to the sound that album opened with. The horn section is used again in quite a prominent way, whilst the song motors along at a faster pace - with some busy bass playing and lots of driving keyboards. A mix of Rhodes and clavinet is used this time, and the upbeat keyboard riffing helps to keep the song moving - with Platts again utilising a rather whimsical vocal style throughout. He harmonises with himself less this time, which showcases just what a great singer he is. He does not need layers of harmonies to make him sound good, and the song allows him to lay down a rawer performance. When the harmonies do kick in they feel more powerful as a result, and they add some bounce to a song which already playfully skips along - bringing the album to a joyous conclusion. Young Gun Silver Fox are one of those bands that I have ingested really quickly this year, and they are likely one of the artists that I have listened to most in 2022. Getting a new album from a duo was the icing on the cake, then, and Ticket to Shangri-La is another excellent collection of songs from Platts and Lee. There are so few bands playing this kind of music these days, that their sound feels fresh and exciting - and it pays tribute to the past in all the right ways, whilst also sounding suitably modern.

The album was released on 21st October 2022 via Candelion. Below is the band's promotional video for Rolling Back.