Downy Mildew
Broomtree
Rare & Collectible Vinyl Records

Sealed 1987 Original. A slice of folk pop/alternative rock out of San Luis Obispo, CA. "For A Bunch Of Musicians So Enamored Of Whispers, Echoes And Atmospheres, Downy Mildew Is At Its Best Stripped Down. The Oceanic Wash Of Distorted Guitar Blasts, Tensile Lead Lines And Slow-Building Rhythmic Crashes Provides Darkness And Depth — But Only When The Songwriting Is Solid. On Both Broomtree And Mincing Steps, That Usually Occurs When Co-Vocalist And Guitarist Charlie Baldonado Steps To The Front. His Skeletal Acoustic-Driven Rockers ("Sally Pt. Iii," "Burnt Bridges," "Tangled Ladders") Offer A Dash Of Verve And Hookery Amidst The Crystalline Instrumentation, While Guitarist Jenny Homer's Dreamy Vocal Support Completes The Band's Hallmark Yin/Yang Effect. Things Get More Tangled When The Roles Are Reversed: Homer's Best Material ("The Kitchen," "Good Dream," Both On Broomtree) Stirs Nicely, With A Light And Languid Melodicism, But She Also Gets Lost In Abstract Sonority And Wandering Introspection. Downy Mildew's Lyrics Are Rarely An Issue, Since Sonic Ambience Takes Precedence Over The Wistful, Naturalistic Imagery. Broomtree Is The Better Of The First Two Albums. Mincing Steps Features Strings (By The Incoming Salvador Garza), A Harder Drummer (Ex-Leaving Train John Hofer) And A More Subdued Art-Folk Feel, But The Songwriting Is Not As Strong." - Trouser Press