Glued to your radio back in the day there’d always be that moment when something new would spring out of the speaker to grab your attention. Let’s recreate those moments. Here are four recently released discs with plenty of grabbing power for melody-loving audiences.

Summer may be well and truly gone but I’ll join The Goods in waving Goodbye Summertime, even this far into fall. This is a record caught between competing emotions. From the Cure-like lead guitar work defining the should-be hit single “Summer’s Almost Gone” to the yearning Big Star-ish ballad “Everything But You,” there’s a back and forth pulling at you in traversing these tracks. Ballads abound, like the tender acoustic “Waiting” with its Bill Fox folky atmosphere. A more fuzzed-out psych-pop gets a look in on “Lazy” and “Sleepytime.” Then there’s the brilliant lead guitar tone leaping out from “Dare Me” where shades of Teenage Fanclub come to the fore. Thematically, there’s a strong Beatlesque thread woven in here. You can hear subtle elements of it on “Love You More,” particularly the organ undercurrent and melodic bass work, as well as on the more up-tempo 1966-era “Make It.” But there are hints of other influences as well. A bit of Beck and Big Star on “Minor Key,” a folk rock Brian Wilson feel to “Don’t Worry,” and even some Lloyd Cole in the mix of the ringing acoustic guitars that carry “Driving.” But my personal fave is “Wing.” I love how it comes crashing in before developing a strong singalong feel, particularly in the chorus.

I don’t know how I do it but somehow I manage to miss every second Classic Traffic release. I’d just gotten a notice about the band’s new album Real Music when I discovered they had put out a record I overlooked two years ago. But I think I can make up for lost time here. There’s a buoyant 1970s Steve Miller rock feel to much of 2024’s Turn It Up, particularly on “Satan’s Sister,”  “Private Pain” and “Black Rose and Marigold.” Things turn toward Weezer on “Sadie,” grunge Bryds on “Missing Person,” and adrenaline-rush power pop on “Lead Your Way.” But the record wraps up with something more Teenage Fanclub with “The Burning Man.” This is a tight album that flows seamlessly from strength to strength. How does it compare with their just released LP? Pretty well, though they are definitely different beasts. Real Music keeps pushing the band’s musical frontiers. “My Rage” is a brilliantly inventive opening rocker. Positively exhilarating. Then comes devilishly good should-be hit single “There With You.” This one should come with an earworm warning sticker label. From there the musical hints are wildly various. “Wanna Wish” almost sounds like a rocking version of Wings. “Ballad of Storm Shelter” has a Zombies feel to the arc of the tune with a bend toward Weezer further in. “Ghost’s Host” is definitely Teenage Fanclubby while “It Leaves Your Mind” sounds Josh Rouse sophisticated poppy rock. “Running Joke” and “Sorry Songs” close things out with a more insistent rocking elan. Buy both Turn It Up and Real Music. They’re the kind of records you can hear again and again.

I love the opening to Graham Hunt’s American Pyramid album. “Straight Line to Love” creates tension by alternating between its major and minor chord while colouring in the background with percussion. It’s a scene setting technique mastered by the likes of Bruce Cockburn and Peter Gabriel and Hunt acquits himself well. The song sounds like the start of something important. Then “Waiting For You To Come Home” comes on with a dynamic rush, push and shove. There are more tentative moments here too. “Places That Are Gone” has a great American songbook vibe going. A talky punk feel permeates “Riverboat Blues,” “Song of Hate” and “Dust Underwater.” I also really dig the propulsive pop drive of “Getting Older.” There’s clearly a Joe Jackson impatience with stylistically consistency at work here. For instance, amidst all this indie rocking Hunt pulls out the soft, lilting “Big Light” and effectively puts the brakes on what has been going on up to now. But that’s just a feint. The record ends with the cacophonous, melodically brilliant closer “You Always Have the Morning.” Wow. I need a moment to catch my breath. You will too.

So much melody to take in. Good thing there are hyperlinks above to take you where the broadcast never signs off.

Photo courtesy Joe Haupt Flikr collection.