San Francisco’s former golden age has all but fully given way to its new gilded age, yet the further its storied past fades from view, the further its remaining musicians reach out to rescue the threads that remain. Cool Ghouls have been one of a number of spirited Bay Area bands from this decade to turn to the California Sound of previous decades for at least some measure inspiration, and singer/songwriter/bassist Pat Thomas has carried those warm feelings over into his own work as well. Thomas’ new solo album, I Ain’t Buyin’ It, contains eight songs of unique but unlabored character that are era-evocative but not retro-fetishist.
There is also a current of soft protest running through the album from opener “The Money Guys” (“He who has the money has the control / He who owns the property decides what goes / You think you’re free / Look again”) to the closing “Give the Land to the People”, gentle reminders about harsh capitalist realities. This is another way in which Thomas nods to his city’s musical traditions without laying on too heavy a hand. I Ain’t Buyin’ It will be released this Friday, 26 October, on the city’s own Empty Cellar Records.