Topping The Spindles sixties hook-filled homage of a debut album was never going to be easy, so perfectly did Past and Present meld Merseybeat with new wave. But the band’s new LP Wavelength is an equally stunning dose of rejuvenated nostalgia. Though this time the references extend beyond British beat groups to a load of familiar 1970s sounds too. “Getaway” kicks things off with a carefully modulated and shifting poprock energy that is nothing short of thrilling. Then the cover of The Hollies “Bus Stop” is light and breezy and oh-so enjoyable. But from there Wavelength regularly alters its frequency. Some cuts like “Anna James” are 1960s familiar, basically updated beat group good. Or you can find the band’s trademark jangle all over “Ruthy Ann,” with just a bit of a “Drive My Car” groove here and there. Others advance into the 1970s with what could be nods to Badfinger on “Rock For It” or Big Star on “I Found a Girl.” Stylistically I hear a bit of glam on “Rock Boy” or that classic 1970s rock strut propelling “Ride My Bike.” “Henry and Leslie” even rocks up the traditional story ballad. Are there should-be hit singles here? I think so. Both “How To Love” and “Hanging On” turn the band’s signature vocals and guitar blend into highly hummable radio tune-age circa 1983. And listen for the delightful vocal interplay in the chorus of “Two Sides to Every Story.”
You can spin your own copy of The Spindles Wavelength via their bandcamp or band webpage.
Rock and roll represents a dynamic synthesis of rhythm and melody but an oft overlooked dimension is texture. Think the Beatles shifting from Rubber Soul to Revolver. A big part of that great leap forward happened in the overall sonic attack. Today’s artists all attend to matters of texture but in delightfully different ways.
Sometimes a record has a consistent sonic texture shaping the whole LP. Wilderado’s recent long-player Talker is exhibit A of that sort of thing. Words like ‘intimate’ and ‘hushed’ come to mind in trying to describe the vibe. The songs are like a theme park with different rides, they’re different and kinda the same too. Title track album opener “Talker” slow waltzes you into the centre of this other-worldly, slightly fuzzy dance floor. It’s the kind of song you can slow sway to all night. “Bad Luck” has a slightly more urgent, insistent feel but really it’s in no hurry. By contrast “Simple” swaps out its measured slow verses for a positively upbeat chorus. Three songs in, you should be starting to get the feel for this record. It’s a mood. It varies but never really shifts where it’s at. You can hear things here that might remind of other acts. “Higher Than Most” sounds a bit Springsteen or Tom Petty. “Coming to Town” and “Longstanding Misunderstanding” remind me of Rogue Wave. There’s even a hint of SWMRS on “What Was I Waiting For” to my ears. And then there’s “Sometimes,” the low-key should-be hit single.
In so many ways Jake Bugg’s recording career has amounted to one long attempt to outrun the long shadow of his much-celebrated self-titled debut album. Each record since seems to have struggled to stand on its own in the face of fan and critic expectations. But with album number six Bugg seems more comfortable than ever with his own preferred melange of musical styles, mixing neo-folk, country, sixties rock and roll, and more modern pop motifs. A Modern Day Distraction opens with the electrifying pulse of indie rock number “Zombieland.” The guitar work is ferocious while the tune is hooky, particularly in the chorus. Then “All Kinds of People” breaks out an updated Bo Diddly beat. Both songs feature lyrics that speak to the struggles of working class people and here Bugg remains connected to the social critique that has long animated his work. “Breakout” is more frantic fun, evidence of Bugg’s talent for poppy tunes. The latin guitar solo here is just a special treat. An obvious should-be AM radio hit would be “Keep On Moving,” though the poppy rock of “Waiting for the World” comes a close second. Fans of Bugg’s more folky demeanor have come great cuts here with “I Wrote the Book,” “All I Needed Was You,” and his touching testament to loss “Never Said Goodbye.” He also offers up some decidedly Beatles-meets-Oasis chops on “Got to Let You Go” and a La’s/Cast echo on “Instant Satisfaction.”
Alabama’s Will Stewart has always been hard to keep a sticky label on. Previous album Country Seat and a raft of EPs seemed country steering towards roots with splash rock guitars here and there. But his new LP Moon Winx comes on like a blockbuster, suddenly jamming together all those past loose threads of musical influence into a one beautiful coherent synthesis. I mean listen to how he opens “Regulars” with a few Beatlesque psychedelic pop notes before resolving into a Wilco-ish bit of Americana. The record kicks off with “Penny,” a solid gold should-be hit single if ever there was one. Everything is working on this song, from the punchy vocal delivery to the constant accompaniment of droning jangly guitars. Another strong radio ready number is “Bird in the Hand.” At other points, Stewart’s ear for classic retro musical tones is equal to J.D. McPherson, particularly on “Firebird Fever.” But in a way these could be seen as outliers on an album remarkable for its sonic restraint, with Stewart deploying different instruments like a miserly conductor. Tracks like “Mighty Fine” and “Til We Hear the Radio” hold back but don’t lack for intensity. Others just have a stately ballad delivery. Here I’m thinking of “The Arkestra at Dreamland” and the lovely “Late for the Banquet.” Then there’s the heartstrings-pulling story song “Roxy Blue,” lathered in mellow organ and pathos.
Some music rubs you the right way. That’s texture for you, the unsung spice that makes poprock tunes even more special. Get your extra texture by following the hyperlinks above.
There is something so distinctive sounding on this debut single from Memphis band The Sonny Wilsons. It’s partially about the vocal attack, particularly the slurred vocal chorus on the ‘maybe’ line. But it’s also about the careful, somewhat spare arrangement of instruments. I mean, it’s not a quiet song but there’s room in this mix to really hear all the bits and adornments. The lead guitar work is also clean and shimmery, adding an element of mystery. The tune and performance really remind me of later period Cowsills or Bill Cowsill’s work with Vancouver-based acts Blue Northern and The Blue Shadows. The overall sound is where poprock landed for me in about 1983. That means riddled with hooks, not afraid of being accused of being commercial, but still holding on to some strong indie cred. Yet it sounds just as in tune with today’s musical multiverse of competing and parallel styles. It’s a Jon Auer of the Posies production and the quality shows. Bottom line – this is one killer single and a strong kick-off for a band whose first long-playing album will be out soon. Can’t wait to hear more.
Keep on top of the latest news from The Sonny Wilsons at their Facebook and Instagram pages.
Psychedelia is an influence that keeps on giving, in multiple ways. It would appear you can combine those recognizable late sixties bits of distortion and sparkle to just about any tune and hyphen your way into the psych genre. Today’s acts offer three different ways to psych out while still doing your own thing.
Chicago’s Sharp Pins return with a revamped versions of their 2024 LP Radio DDR, now supersized from 11 to 14 songs, making a great album even greater. The original record is testament to the rich variety of the modern jangle movement. Album opener “Every Time I Hear” is a jangle stunner, combining delicate sparkly guitar with a dreamy vocal drone. In the same vein, “If I Was Ever Lonely” lays a bit psych pop vibe over a melody that is a killer collection of hooks. Hit single material for sure. “Circle All the Dots” roughs up the jangle a bit but is another unstoppable melody-drenched tune. Stylistically “Lorelei” goes in another direction with a second act that both surprising and striking in terms of song structure. The record also has a number of tunes that have a lovely Kevin Devine acoustic delicacy like “You Don’t Live Here Anymore,” “Sychophant,” and “Chasing Stars.” Alternatively, the amps get cranked a bit on “When You Know” and “Is It Better” which feature smooth pop vocals floating over punk distortion guitars. “You Have a Way” just sounds like a great lost 1960s guitar pop hit. From the newly added material “Storma Lee” is a very Brydsian encounter, with shimmering jangle guitars and otherworldly vocals.
The Higher State are some kind of retro music time machine, relentlessly plucking sounds you know from 1957, 1963, 1968, and so on. Their latest album Internecine Free is a loving tribute to the sonic styles of days gone by, but repurposed for now. Just check out the killer organ work driving opening cut “By The View.” Or the surf-meets-garage rock intensity of “Not Anything.” “Pussywillow” even turns down a Byrds/Dylanesque jangle street. Overall though the vibe here combines a garage rock looseness with razor-sharp organ and guitar interventions. “10 Minutes Ahead” and “In Slow Motion” are great examples. “Shadows Cast” ups the pop quotient with a more of sixties beat group feel. “A Lonely Place” is something else again, more a circa 1968 heavy pop single. So many possible comparisons abound. “I’d Rather Die” could easily slip on to a Young Rascals album while “Meet Me at the Bellanova” has a more contemporary Smithereens aura. Personal fave – I love uber cool guitar lead line snaking throughout “Inside Information Man.” This is a party album, for sure. Just turn on the lava lamp and hit play.
If we’re being honest, Montreal’s Prism Shores are more jangly melodic pop than psych, though their new album Out From Underneath definitely has its psyched-out moments. You can hear it on “Tourniquet,” “Weightless” and “Unravel,” though overlaid with a dissonant but still poppy vocal. By contrast, album opener “Overplayed My Hand” is more power pop. But on the whole the sound here is more melancholy melodic rock and roll in the style of Rogue Wave or The Shins. Tracks like “Holding Pattern,” Fault Line” and “Southpaw” counterpose jaunty musical beds with a more dour yet endearing vocal attack. “Sudden Sting” oscillates between a rush-like drive in the chorus and a kind of calm in between. Meanwhile “Drawing Conclusions” even offers up a Smiths-like lush guitar bed while the vocal adds a dynamic tension to what is going on. If you’re looking for melodic rock with a dissonant twist, Prism Shores are your new go-to band.
Psych was so 1968 but now it’s whenever and wherever you want it to be. You can just add a little psych to whatever you’re doing. Or you can dig a little deeper into the psyche of these acts via the hyperlinks above.
Time for another unsolicited made-up album in the tradition of Decca Records’ late 1960s/early 1970s The World of [fill in band/artist name here] series. Acts given a The World of … treatment include Mantovani, Cat Stevens, and The Zombies, to name just a few. Now get ready to add another name to the ledger with The World of Kenny Michaels.
I first heard of Michaels last summer when he posted his single “Must Be This New Love of Mine” on Bandcamp. As I wrote about it at the time, the song is a sunny soft rock delight with shades of the Turtles on the ‘ba ba ba ba’ background vocals. Since then he’s added nine more songs to his roster, enough to be collected into an album proper, for sure. What is striking in this collection of tunes is the range, both in terms of songwriting and performance. Michaels can work up a beat group combo, Beatlesque orchestrations, blue-eyed soul, and heavier rock and roll numbers, with vocals that seamlessly adapt to the genre. Taking the tracks in order of release, “She’s a Charm” has a Bacharachian atmosphere with a vocal reminiscent of Freedy Johnson. “Don’t Look Down” launches with a “Hard Day’s Night” guitar glimmer before shifting to a bracing Jam-like pop punk intensity. It’s hard not to hear The Who-like keyboard work opening “Your House” but don’t neglect to spot those killer Who-like background vocals peppered throughout the tune. “Nowhere to Run” is 10cc-worthy in my view given its layered atmospheric effects, from the keyboard hook kicking things off to the rich harmony vocals. “Love of My Life” rocks along on the keyboard with a toe-tapping intensity and a blue-eyed soul vocal delivery. Then “Brand New Day” shifts the mood somewhat, with an orchestration giving off a “She’s Leaving Home” undercurrent of seriousness and class. “Be Here Soon” has a looser, late 1960s Cream vibe. I’d describe “All For You” as neo-Merseybeat, updated from the 1960s with an extra punch in the chorus. Lastly “Man Upstairs” has a “Lady Madonna” in your-face-piano style, while the vocal reminds me of Glenn Tilbrook in its elasticity.
Is The World of Kenny Michaels ready for the shops? Absolutely. Michaels has got more than enough quality material here for a long-player. But for now you can just collect all these individual songs and make them into an album all your own.
Visit Kenny Michaels on Bandcamp or catch up on some of his past releases at his spiffy website.
Cold winter temperatures up here in the Great White North have my feet tapping for all the wrong reasons. Time to heat things up with singles so sizzling they’ll scorch the turntable.
There’s something very 1980s space-age soundtrack to the vibe on Ricky Rochelle’s new single “Imagine Being Eric.” It’s there in the background keyboard runs and arrangement of the vocals. Very 1983. Then we have Retro Metro music man Super 8, back with jangle chanteuse Lisa Mychols on a new song. “Pop Radio” celebrates the joy of finding a great song over the airwaves. Quaint though the sentiment may be, the track hits all the modern marks for sixties timelessness. Putting power pop maestro Kurt Baker together with Wyatt Funderburk was always going to make for ear-catching experience. Baker’s new release “Warm in the Winter” is hooks at every turn, all sleek and shiny pop laced with plenty of rock edge. And on point for this theme post. Moving into more dream pop territory Shapes Like People offer up a mellow bit of jangle that practically flows like water on “Ambition is Your Friend.” Just one of a number of atmospheric cuts from their new LP Ticking Haze. Belgium’s CMON CMON excel at a kind of wall of sound aural pop assault. “Turn Off the Lights” balances a solid rocking backing with a smooth vocal and pop melody.
London’s The Tubs come on like some surging poprock outfit on “Freak Mode” but when the lead vocal kicks in such perceptions are quickly derailed, conjuring instead a more English rural folk aura. But the combination somehow still works in a beautifully creative tension. Ok this next band got to me at the name level. I’ve spent my life quipping ‘he’s dead Jim’ at all sorts of inappropriate moments. So running across Aberdeenian Scot rock combo He’s Dead Jim I knew I had to cover them. “Swim to Oblivion” is just one of 14 winning swinging rock tracks from their recent LP Head Like a Toyshop. These guys are very much alive – no red shirts here. Boston’s The Fatal Flaw deliver the goods again with their new single “Baby Tooth.” It’s got a hint of pop punk, in the vocal delivery particularly. But the chorus steps on the hooks for all they’re worth. Meanwhile in Philadelphia The Tisburys are priming their audience for an album release sometime in April. In the interim you can get the flavour of what is to comie with the propulsive, highly melodious “Forever.” Mike Browning pulls a rarity off oldies radio for full-on folk rock coverage, The Ragmuffins’ 1967 single “Four Days of Rain.” With vocal support from daughter Jillian, the duo recreate a decidedly Brydsian ambience.
The band Free Weed have produced what really should be the US public service theme song. “Government Employee” has mystery and cool New Order bass work and a freaky bit of psychedelic guitar work. Did I mention it’s cool? It really is. From the same record label, LA’s Gnar Tapes, The Memories lighten the mood with their chipper acoustic guitar strum and mellifluous single note keyboard work. The slightly sinister and otherworldly vocal offsets this lighthearted musical bed so effectively. Two decades on should-have-been power pop superstars The Mayflies USA are back with a brand new single and it is like they never left. “Calling the Bad Ones Home” expands the band’s sonic palate from Big Star to The Jayhawks and I’m liking it. If I can’t have a new album from Guster or Chris Collingwood then Gentle Hen will fit the bill. Actually let’s add them to that bill. Their new album is The Wrong Record and it’s all good but check out “It Only Takes a Couple Words” particularly. The vocal and guitar adornments sound so simple but they add incredible sonic depth to what is going on. Shifting to swinging London I like what The Open Flames are doing on their new song “Drop a Coin.” There is some very cool bass synth going on and a flurry of vocal ba ba ba ba ba’s adds charm to an already maximum charm ditty.
I’ve been wanting to write about the madly talented So Cow for ages. The band show so many stylistic faces to the world. Their latest single “Reputable Seer” seems like as good a place as to start. Check out the Beatles 64 guitar tone kicking things off before the sound moves in an Elephant 6 direction. Some very cool Apples in Stereo vibes happening here. Reliably melodic rocker Brad Marino has an album of rarities, remixed and unreleased stuff about to hit the e-shelves and from what is presently available online even attentive fans are going to find stuff they’ve never heard before. Like “Not Fooling Me” in my case. This is classic Marino hooky goodness, tied up with his oh so smooth vocals. Peter Green’s Soulbird project is like hitting the psychedelic mainline, with an extra pop punch. “Stay With Me Angel” has hooks working overtime but the vocal arrangement takes things to a new level. As if he’s not busy enough with his other bands Rural France and Teenage Tom Petties, now Tom Brown is fronting another nearly one-man band called Lone Striker. “Dunno” is a wonderfully languid bit of slow-groove pop, with what sounds like some sonorous horn work lifting the mood. Another exciting new release comes our way from guitar ambience expert Chris Church. “Sit Down” is dotted with sparkly guitars and a vocal that shifts from smoky smooth to urgently insistent.
Wrapping things on this shivery singles collection is a song so in keeping with our seasonal theme from everyone’s fave punk-pop productivity super-achievers Vista Blue. “I’m Going to be Warm This Winter” is pure adrenaline salted with plenty of pop hooks.
Brrr. It’s definitely a good day to stay inside, somewhere between the fire and the turntable.
Coventry’s fave jangle band is back. Sort of. Spanish power pop label Elefant has spread the news that they are readying a new collection of The Primitives’ singles and rarities entitled Let’s Go Round Again: Second Wave Singles & Rarities 2011-2025. The package promises to be a double album, available on vinyl and other formats. A preview of what will be included is available for pre-ordering online but precisely what is new or culled from one-off specialty albums or b-sides will require a Primitives-ologist to decipher. Suffice to say it will be full to brimming with jangle goodness. On the unreleased material front so far all we know is that it will include two versions of a mysterious track entitled “Sweet Sister Sorrow.”
As soon as this 45 got going I knew it was there, that Primitives magic. The instrumentation is retro sparkling, Thorn’s vocal is dolly bird pristine, and tune is jangle catchy. The alternate take “Sweet Sister Sorrow (Symphonic Dream Pop Version)” is lighter, more acoustic, with a vocal that is simultaneously more expansive and airy. It so reminds me of Sandie Shaw in her late 1960s Pye Records heyday. But I’m still left with questions. Is this a new song from the band? Or something shelved from way back in the day? Looks like we’ll have to wait for the full package to arrive March 7 and perhaps comb the liner notes for details. Another whole month you say? No matter. When I’ve got a new Primitives song to play (again and again) the world is just a little bit brighter.
You can find this new song (both versions), preview the soon-to-be released collection, and revisit a whole lot of the band’s great new millennium revival stuff at the their bandcamp lair and website.
Early into our new year and new records are breaking out everywhere. Today we’ve got some old favourites and highly anticipated debuts to get our heads around.
Victor Ramirez’s Ramirez Exposure project is like a carefully assembled time capsule of sixties sonic riffs. On this latest LP For the Love of Things Invisible everything feels familiar, from the Beatlesque/Beach Boys trills adorning the opening title track to the sunshine pop aura of “Beneath the Sun” with its Zombies-like lilt. There’s a touch of baroque pop weaved throughout. I mean, check out the madrigal-ish keyboard that launches “I Don’t Get It” only to segue into a more happy-go-lucky pop feel. By contrast “Long Way to Go” is folk rock in both its demeanor and metre. Ramirez covers two songs from his sometime collaborator Marc Jonson and the shift in mood and sonic sensibility is notable. “Ended” is lyrically stark, emotionally dark and moving while “Love Radiates Around” builds a lush Dion-esque intensity that just sounds 1960s classic. Closing cut “What’s Tonight on Utopia TV” is a sonic pastiche kind of instrumental that practically simmers in its focused intensity. The seven tracks here clock in at just 21 minutes – barely more than an EP, just shy of a proper LP – but fully delivering on fun.
On album number 15 Dropkick strip things back to their Primary Colours and that means loads of jangle, lush harmony vocals, and sweet sweet melodies. Opening cut “Left Behind” jolts to a start like a TV show flickering on halfway through but you easily get caught up, so recognizable are the essential elements of Dropkick songcraft. Immediately you’re in the Dropkick zone, recalling just how great it is to be here. “Snowflake adds a little more grit to the guitar mix, buffeting everything with a subtle organ sonic underlay. Title track “Primary Colours” comes on like the probable hit single with so many great melodic twists and turns. And then there’s “Dreams Expire” featuring the lush jangle vibe Dropkick is justly known for. Not that this album doesn’t vary the pitch. The Alan Shields penned and sung “Highs and Lows” almost sounds like a different but still pretty good band. “Till It Goes Away” puts Alan up front vocally with group leader Andrew Taylor on harmony, shifting the band’s sound in a distinctive way. “Misunderstandings” has a poignant undercurrent, perfectly framed in jangly guitars and Taylor’s sweetly understated vocal. Taylor scopes this down significantly on “Too Much of the Same,” a song with a spare, lilting kind of Springsteen-esque acoustic introspection. The band end things with “Waiting for the Rain,” proof that those routine Teenage Fanclub comparisons are still spot on.
Rich Chance is a showman whose experience writing for films has clearly given his tunes a cinematic shock quality, one part Queen, another part Friends of Mr. Cairo. Now decades into multiple musical careers he delivers his first LP Robot Spider Zombie Dog and it’s a stunner, rich in melodic quirks, inventive production, and clever lyrics. “Dizzy” is the slow-burn introduction to the show, building an intensity that gives you a hint of what is to come. From there the program divides between mannered pop whimsy and more straightforward pop hits. “Picture Show” exudes the laconic ease of Randy Newman with a touch of Rupert Holmes. “Pantomime” also kicks off very Newman but then adds a layer of pop hooks that take things somewhere else. “Get On” sounds like a show tune where the spotlit protagonist is constantly joined onstage by a dancing chorus. “On the Monday” is so Randy Newman, making the complex sound deceptively simple. By contrast, “Schlong” is more Manhattan Transfer-worthy jazzy pop. Yet Chance is not merely a frustrated Broadway song and dance man. He’s got serious poprock chops. “Azalea Close” is clearly the sizzling should-be hit single, a triumph of staged song pacing sure to get your heart racing. But “Angelina” is also a pretty special piece of radio-good pop perfection. I hear the imprint of a host of chart-makers here. “Darjeeling” sounds like a cross between Hall and Oates and the Steve Miller Band to me while “You” is the essence of a classic 1980s synth pop song. “Joker Like Me” brings these two pop tendencies together, a bit Billy Joel stage and show with a chorus that says ‘play me radio, I really could be a hit!’ Trust me, you’ll want to make room on your playlist for Rich Chance. Robot Spider Zombie Dog is both ‘kick up your heels’ and ‘don’t touch that dial’ good.
Never mind film at 11, you’ve got all the deets you need to follow up on these breaking stories. Hit the hyper-links and take all the time you need to interview these sources for yourself.
Photo courtesy of Jessica aka zaza23 Flikr collection.
Ever since they popped up on my radar with their wickedly cutting “Hotline Psychic” I’ve been loving just about everything coming from New York City’s Strange Neighbors. Their songwriting manages to work up a double whammy of sardonic lyrical wordplay combined with perfectly executed melodic hooks. Every. Damn. Time. Their latest single is no exception. “Influencer” relentlessly mocks the empty commercial influencer culture that offers ‘help’ at every turn for just a tiny bite of your attention economy. It might sound preachy if it weren’t so damn hummable. Really Strange Neighbors are masters at the hit-you-in-the-face hooky chorus. You thought you were enjoying the set up and the verses but the chorus takes things to a whole new level. There’s something about Aiden’s lead vocal (alternating with Zach in parts here) here that adds a ‘unreliable narrator jolt to the proceedings. The zing isn’t obvious and, for some listeners, may take time to sting. But it’s there.
If you like what you hear here (and heard on past releases) there’s good news in the shape of a whole new Strange Neighbors album due out soon. I can’t wait to fall under its influence.
What’s playing across our spectrum? More hooks, more jangle, more mellifluous melodies – the usual, in other words. Today’s should-be radio sample has got sly riffs, coy lyrics and even a certain cinematic allure.
The early, more rough-house pop sound of Burgess Meredith sounds like it has been put through a Beatles filter and what has come out on their latest LP Person Hat is very Abbey Road with a dash of seventies solo Paul McCartney. I mean, LP opener “Nowhere” is so Macca it hurts. In a good way. Actually, the whole sonic vibe of this record oozes various Beatle-isms. It’s there in the ominous orchestration backing “Somewhere to Start,” the distinctive Mellotron keyboard underpinning “Becca Song,” or the oh-so-Beatles background vocals balancing the sparse acoustic guitar on “Heart Strings.” I’m not saying it’s all Paul here. “Life Love” strikes a more White Album Lennon note. You may also hear a lot of Beatles interpreters like ELO on cuts like “Blue Reign.” Then again “Hit the Road” seems very Apples in Stereo to these ears. I think the sleeper hit on this record is “Love Knows.” It is one of those subtle ear worms that gets stuck in your head the more you hear it. I also really like the ambition driving “The Children Can Tell” with its pop, folksy and sing-along elements blending seamlessly.
Philadelphia’s Log Flume sound like a power pop band that aged out of the punk scene but couldn’t quite quit that baby. The effect is sometimes like a pop singer playing in front a sound system turned up way loud. It’s wonderfully dissonant and fun on tracks like “Elevator Up,” “OMIT” and the poppy “DB Cooper.” Other tracks like “Rom Pom Pom” have that SMWRS slick, alluring indie poprock sound. By contrast “On the Spaceship” has a rough and ready sheen, a touch of slacker vibe that says ‘we can nail this’ but sometimes we like things a bit looser. But where I think this band is going can be found on songs like “Angel’s Flight,” “December’s Ending” and “Simple Friend.” The latter transitions out of the dissonant sound to more of an accent on melody. Then “Angel’s Flight” bends your ear with solid melodic hooks throughout. But the standout should-be hit single is undoubtedly “December’s Friend.” This one is just so poppy good. Another delight is “Twist” which builds the tune out of a complex lead guitar hook that just keeps looping in the background until a chorus breaks out of nowhere. The album title is Splash Hit and that captures a lot about this group: fun, unpretentious and willing to throw out hooks like kids cannon-balling from the diving board.
When The Rockyts launched in 2020 they were barely post adolescent but that didn’t limit them acing a driving beat group revival sound worthy of a dark sweaty night at The Cavern. On their debut album Come On And Dance they showed they had 1965 down. The question was, where would they go next? 1966? Or somewhere more unpredictable? Last year’s release of Parkwood Manor has provided some answers. The record now sees the band reduced to a solo act built around the group’s creative force Jeremy Abboud who writes, plays and produces everything here. I must say the results are surprising though not startling. Abboud shifts to that slick pop new wave feel that took signature elements of the Beatles sound in exciting new directions. Tracks like “I Get High” and “Without You” utilize Cars-like muted guitar and vocals to good effect. There is a sonic consistency to the performances of tracks like “Another One Like You,” “You and I” and “Falling.” Abboud adds some grit to his vocals here while maintaining solid melodic hooks. There are contributions that offer a softer pop take, echoing a lighter 1960s feel, and here I’m thinking of tracks like “I Don’t Know Why It’s Killing Me,” “Everywhere” and “You Were My Love.” Altogether Parkwood Manor is an impressive second effort from a young talent who is really just getting started.
Given what you see here it’s clear that poprock productivity remains strong. Really there’s no reason you can’t get the hooks you need going forward. Just tune in here to re-up your supply.
Poprock Record 