It’s near closing time for 2025 and I’ve still got a huge backlog of material remaining on the review pile. Glass half full, it’s a problem that suggests the melodic rock and roll scene is surviving, maybe even thriving. Glass half empty, the bartender’s call for last orders on the year means there’s really only time for a scant few LPs to get some attention. Here’s the last in the door.

I don’t know how an album entitled Power Pop World Domination somehow slipped by me. But I’m not the only one. Despite an April release date the record appears to have gotten little coverage. How is that possible? Atticus Roness has not misnamed his debut LP. This record should be well on its way to at least a Lemon Twigs kind of indie stardom. From the get-go you know thrills are here as opening cut “I” lashes out with just a hint of “Helter Skelter” weaved into the tune. Then “Teens” offer up a recognizable slab of 1970s era melodic rock and roll. Next up is arguably the LPs marquis track, “Ludwig Van.” It was the early pre-release single, a song that sounds classic in so many senses of the word. What is over-arching style going on here? “Last Year’s Words” reminds me of a particular slice of new wave, circa 1979 AM radio. Jangle figures strongly in April Wine-like ballads like “I’m in Love” or The Lemon Twigs-ish “Closer.” “Sad Girls” is very Big Star. Underwriting all this is a strong appreciation of Messrs. Lennon and McCartney of course. Closing track “Not the One (I’m Looking For)” sounds so Beatles in a Cheap Trick guise. This album is a slick piece of superbly crafted power pop, a must-hear, must-add selection from this past year.

Melbourne’s The Gnomes appear to have blown up a fully formed gift from the raunchy side of the 1960s, seemingly out of nowhere. Their self-titled debut runs the gamut of rough and ready garage styles to a more pristine Beatlesque melodiousness. The germ of this LP can be found in a variety of bedroom recordings from band leader Jay Millar but recalibrated for a full band effect. The results are one hell of a good time. “Better With You” kicks open the proceedings with that sixties pre-punk swagger. This is a band you know would blow you away live. “You Won’t Fool Me” and “Play With You” are stripped down 1965 strut rockers while “Open Your Eyes” rides a tension between sweet melodic vocals and a rougher musical demeanor. “I Like It” is just a straight-up punk take on the Kinks. “Won’t Quit You” adds a psychedelic guitar fuzz to the band’s sonic palate. But melody figures strongly in here too. “I’ll Be There,” “Time Will Tell” and  “I’ll Wait” all pull to the Beatles side of the sixties rock street. It will be interesting to hear where the band may go next, with songs like “I’m Not the One” perhaps gesturing toward a more 1980s-style sixties throwback. Right now, just enjoy this top rank party platter.

Sometimes an album amounts to more than just a collection of songs. The new Jody and the Germs LP Love Descends is just such an experience, offering variety in song styles but giving each a coherent group stamp. Opening cut “Hooch and Happiness” sounds like the Go Go’s, grown a bit older and mellower. The spectre of Kirsty MacColl hangs over this release, evident in songs as different as “Some Day,” “Seen It All Before,” and “Unravelling.” The latter is a real standout track with its striking blast of horns and a hooky chorus. For stylistic range, you have songs like “Divine,” a culture jam of 1980s sonic motifs, or the moody, melancholic vibe suffusing “Lights.” In terms of hook-laden singles, “Liberation” fits the bill, though “Unravelling” is another strong choice. Rounding out the record are a number of songs that underline the band’s chameleon-like identity, with “Given Up Trying,” “Severance” and “Winter Heart” all incorporating folkie-ish elements without going full-on folk. I’ve been hitting repeat on this LP for weeks now. Love Descends is full-listen immersion into heart-felt melodic delight.

Let’s be honest, sometimes is it the name the grabs you. When I saw coverage of a band called Billy Joel Jr. my first thought was ‘how did they get away with that?’ Turns out, the band’s been waiting for a legal cease-and-desist letter from Joel Sr. ever since they got started. They even circulated a fake version of their own, just to get attention (it worked!). But hey, what about the music, you may ask? In a word, they rock. Track #1 “Bad Heart” is a rocking bruiser. Not Joel-esque in the least. “New to Love” has a got discordant melody that works its way into your head. Then “She’s Always On the Mind” ups the shoegaze quotient, at least until the vocal comes in clear as bell. Title track “Ur a Star” is something else again, a nicely arranged shift of sonic moods ready for radio playlisting. It’s the a-few-drinks-in singalong number for sure. Taking in the album as whole, it’s hard for me to put my finger on just what this style is. Sludge rock on “Girlfriend/Twin Bed”? The remaining tracks divide between the rocking dissonance of “Isn’t It Funny” or “About Dying (Hannah)” and the more breezy guitar pop of “About Me”? Perhaps a lack of certainty is actually a good thing as it leaves the listener attentive, trying to work it out. There’s little doubt about “Blue.” It’s the big closing number, the touching ballad that’ll see you to the exits.

If any old acquaintance from this blog be forgot just hit the search function above to track down whatever tune you’ve misplaced. That’s it for this year!

Photo “Barkeep” courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.