Hello, everyone … welcome to my first ever public album review … it’s probably terrible, but hey, it’s my first review … anyway, Train are a band whose discography I haven’t really listened to much, but I haven’t heard very positive things about them from critics, but curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to give their new album AM Gold a listen, especially after liking the lead single, which is also the title track … and …

I like the album.

Yes, it’s cheesy. I know. And I could totally see why somebody might not like this album … it’s not very deep lyrically (at least I personally haven’t found much depth in the lyrics … maybe there’s more to it than I realize), and the songs feel pretty simple a lot of the time, and again, some of the lyrics are very cheesy, and you could argue it sounds like it was written entirely for the radio (I’m not saying it was, just that you could argue it sounds that way) … but for me, it’s got this charm that I don’t really know how to explain … I think part of it is Pat Monahan’s presence behind the mic … I’m not sure what it is, but his vocals fit the album really well.

I should also mention the production … at some points on this album the production feels a bit off, but mostly, the instruments sound really good together. For example, on the mellow, laid-back “Running Back (Trying to Talk to You)” … I love how the guitars on this track sound, and they fit so well with the slow drums, as well as the horns that come in later in the song.

Speaking of mellow, laid-back songs, “Bettin’ On Me” is my favourite song on the album. I love the melodies on this song, I love Pat Monahan’s vocals, and the production sounds great, too … overall, in my opinion, this song is excellent!

I also think the songs where it feels like there’s more going on instrumentally are done well, like the title track, “Cleopatra”, and “Turn the Radio Up”.

“Amber Light” is a simple but effective country-like song that just feels nice listening to … I’m not really sure what else to say about it. It just works.

Honestly, the only song here that I don’t like is “Easy On The Eyes” … the lyrics are terrible in my opinion, and the instrumental feels really bland to me. I also find Pat Monahan’s vocals on this one kind of annoying, despite me liking his vocals throughout most of this album. I just didn’t need those ‘oooh’s, ‘baby’s, and ‘yeah’s at the end, and the production doesn’t really work for me, either, especially how dominant the snare is, and the song just feels kind of messy instrumentally, and not in a good way.

There are also two features on this album, those being Sofía Reyes on “Cleopatra” and Jewel on “Turn the Radio Up”, and I think they both give really good performances.

I also like the use of horns used throughout a few songs. I already mentioned them on “Running Back (Trying to Talk to You)”, and they are also a nice touch on “Ain’t No Easy Way” and “Easy On The Eyes”, even though I really don’t like the latter overall.

Overall, I think Train delivered a simple and at times cheesy, but still good, album that is a fun listen if you ask me.

I can totally see why somebody might not like this album, but for me personally, I like it, and I’m giving it a 6.5/10.

Thanks for reading my first ever public album review. Let me know in the comments what you thought of this album (if you want to), and also what you thought of my review (also if you want to). I’m totally open to criticisms of my review, especially if you’re sharing ways you think I could improve my reviews.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 6.5/10
Favourite Tracks: Running Back (Trying to Talk to You), Cleopatra, Bettin’ On Me, Singing Alone
Least Favourite Tracks: Easy On The Eyes