Yesterday is just the day before today," begins Golden Smog's "Yesterday Cried." Such stultifying blandness isn't typical of this CD, but with only five days to write and cut their debut album, Golden Smog couldn't be fussy. So Down by the Old Mainstream features songs about "Pecan Pie" and an Everyjerk who borrows money and never pays it back ("He's a Dick"), as well as a crisp cover of a Faces' sob song, "Glad and Sorry."

There are also the kind of smart melodies and harmonies it takes years to perfect and music that is as comfortable as an electric blanket on a stormy night. Think of the Byrds and the Stones shuffled together by some cosmic blackjack dealer. More appropriately, think of Soul Asylum guitarist Dan Murphy, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, ex-Jayhawks Gary Louris and Marc Perlman, Kraig Johnson of the dirt rockers Run Westy Run and drummer Noah Levy of Minneapolis' Honeydogs. And think of Golden Smog as a sort of bender, its members tanked on a mutual love of country-rock twang and the rush of creating spontaneous music.

The band formed around Murphy, Louris and Soul Asylum singer Dave Pirner, who were lurching about their Twin Cities home turf, looking for action between gigs. They found it by hitting the bars and playing covers, and they put five of those on 1992's On Golden Smog EP. With Pirner busy dating Winona Ryder, the new Smog are more ambitious. They write their own songs and have expanded their semiacoustic palette with mandolin, piano, Dylanesque harmonica squeals and lots of Murphy's savvy slide guitar. It pays off on songs like "V" and Murphy's Soul Asylum leftover "Ill Fated" – strong character portraits with powerhouse choruses reinforced by the brassy harmonies.

That's all that's slick. Splinters of laughter, ad-libs and fingers slipping on strings are also in the mix. But what makes Down by the Old Mainstream sweeter than pecan pie is the inviting sound of people having fun. (RS 729)

TED DROZDOWSKI