Smoking jacket required

17 Thursday Apr 2025

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Sometimes we go classy here at Poprock Record. Sure, generally we like rambunctious guitar-centric beat group stuff. We love the thrill and the rush of great hooks. But every now and then we crank the mood lighting, fish out the Gauloises from their hiding place, and let loose the expensive cognac. And feature some classy artists who are not afraid to show off their smarts.

Few artist pressers contain quotes from Kurt Vonnegut but Rich Restaino’s no ‘strap on a guitar and go’ performer. There’s lyrical depth in the contributions to his recent EP Mostly We Lie. The title track calls out the short game many are playing, too often going for self-interest in the here and now. Then “Man Has Shit For Brains” has a tin pan alley kind of rough melody and wisdom. Restaino doesn’t paint a pretty picture of contemporary manhood here. “Every Cliché You’ve Heard is Partly True” rocks up the talking blues to good effect while “Life is for Losers” has a country shading. Personally, I’m loving the low-key jazzy pop coating “Don’t Fall Asleep on Me Just Yet.” This is a kind of well-crafted protest music from a man who clearly cares, despite his biting critique.

Just one run through his latest LP you know Lane Steinberg truly is Mr. Lane. This record is all class, bottled and displayed sonically over 12 sophisticated tunes. This time out Steinberg strikes a decidedly soul note on a number of songs, in an early 1970s Philly soul or Motown kind of way. “Number One” falls somewhere between cool jazz and early Hall and Oates. Then on “Than U” Steinberg vibes Smokey Robinson’s falsetto on a jazzy slow swing of a song. “The Words I Love You” moves the needle to a more pop position with some simple jangly lead guitar and a great pop vocal. “Pleasantville Sunshine” is more supremely pleasant pop. Steinberg is the master of the aching vocal, as exhibited on “Best Tears I’ve Ever Cried,” a track that sounds like a lost Beach Boys deep cut. Or check out what he does on “Wistful Baby Blue,” creating a kind drone with a slow, meditative ballad. Personal fave: “The Loneliest Man on Earth.” The vocal is so alluring, draping a mournful yet light pop crooner of a song, artfully framed in a spare jazzy arrangement.

Chris Church has got a philosophical bent that comes out all over his new record Obsolete Path. Titles like “What Are We Talking About,” “I’m a Machine” and “Tell Me What You Really Are” kinda give it away. The opening title track bristles with a gentle tension, preparing us for something contemplative. From there the records shift into its rock groove, a distinct new wavey 1970s California rock vibe that’s up front on tracks like ”Sit Down,” “I Don’t Want To Be There” and “The Great Divide.” In a related vein both “Tell Me What You Really Are” and “Running Right Back to You” operate in an adjacent musical space, the first registering strong hints of Walter Egan, the latter conjuring more of a sombre Fleetwood Mac. But musical departures abound here. “She Looks Good in Black” could easily be a Marshall Crenshaw single. “Life on a Trampoline” has a sonic shiver reminiscent of The Police sound on Ghost in the Machine. Then you have “I’m a Machine,” a selection that reminds me of a distinct early 1980s poprock sound I associate with Robert Palmer or Moon Martin.

There are bands that put out so much music that by the time I get round to covering them they’ve already got new stuff out. That’s pretty much Go Set Go to a T. Their most recent LP (as of today) is Pre-Shattered Glass and it brims with taut social observations, all delivered with an unmistakable DIY poppiness. Think the Smiths without the all the moaning and fewer jangly guitars. “Why Am I An Extra In The Movie Of My Life” goes where you think it might go but that takes nothing away from its relevance. A lot of songs here deal with the challenge of coping with modern life. “No Way Back Man” incorporates a bit of the Batman theme by way of recounting all the ways the singer is struggling with. “Broken Girls Loving Broken Boys” updates the class kitchen sink relationship drama. “Adios Motherfuckers” even makes suicide sound a bit chipper. “Debt, Rent, and Letting People Down” again is pretty straightforward audio verité. Personal fave: “The Seconds We Spend” with its lovely ‘whoo hoo’s and a hushed main vocal treatment.

Mae Martin’s new album I’m a TV is a lovely, slightly spacey place to be. They’ve got something to say but they’re not going to fight for your attention. The record is like an invitation to join Mae in a quiet booth somewhere for a chat. “Try Me” is practically a personal invite with its slightly hushed tone and languid lead guitar lines. “Good Dream” becomes a bit more insistent, in a ‘hey get up here a sway to the music with me’ sort of way. The vocals fall somewhere between Suzanne Vega and Elliott Smith in terms of their shivery warmth. “Big Bear” comes on with a contained cinematic sweep to start before the swirl of vocals start lapping up like the lull of the ocean tide. You get a lot of variety here, within the cocoon of Martin’s consistent sonic styling. There’s the hit single-ish “Stowaway” with its slick gentle hooks. The lush “I Love You So Much” which musically mimics the tentativeness of its lyrical content. You get folk pop on “People Get Back Up.” There’s even a light country kick to the pedal steel pop of “No Cowboy.” Hit singles? Sure. There’s the aforementioned “Stowaway” and “Garbage Strike” is another candidate with its quiet, sneak up you hooks. And then there’s “Quiet Street,” so quiet, so spare, so moving. And that horn section. As a full album experience, I’m a TV is gorgeous, full stop.

To cap off our classy interlude, you have to tune in to Lydia Loveless doing a 1950s ballroom version of Irving Berlin’s “What’ll I Do.” You don’t get a classier mix of piano and heart-wrenching vocals than this.

It’s late (or early). Grab your jacket on the way out.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Selections by Ava: Djo, Role Model, and Japanese Breakfast

11 Friday Apr 2025

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When people find out I write a music blog they routinely ask where I find all this new stuff. Early days I would scour a load indie music sites and other blogs but over time I’ve found that most of what I end up writing about just falls into my lap, via a variety of sources. Record labels send stuff, artists contact me directly, and folks just tell me about what they are listening to. Today’s post is door number three. Ava is a twenty-something music fan who likes soundtracks and poppy material that stretches from emotive folk to elevated power pop and she has put me on to three fabulous, supremely talented acts.

Djo wins the award for novelty origins, being the work of Stranger Things actor Joe Keery. Fame may get you onto a playlist but usually some talent is required to stay there. A tour through his third LP The Crux answers the talent question in the affirmative. Opening cut “Lonesome is a State of Mind” comes on like a Mark Everett’s solo project ‘E’ with its stylish, curt melodic twists and turns, adding a jaunty element in the chorus. Early release singles “Basic Being Basic” and “Delete Ya” have that cheeky Bleachers combo of 1980s-meets-contemporary sonic motifs. “Link” hits the Hall and Oates marks hard, bringing the duo’s trademark vibe up to date for now. The guitar playing on this record is sometimes light and ethereal, as on “Potion.” Here the Hall and Oates influences marry nicely with early 1970s McCartney. “Charlie’s Garden” moves into more demonstratively Beatles territory. Things do get a bit more rock edgy on tracks like “Gap Tooth Smile” and “Back On You,” harkening back to Keery’s former band Post Animal. I’m also partial to the more reflective, winsome contributions here too. Both “Golden Line”  and “Crux” lean on melancholy piano to good effect.

Though he started his musical career working the rap side of the street Role Model now offers pretty catchy guitar-based bedroom pop. With the re-release of an expanded version of 2024’s Kansas Anymore, now rechristened Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye), he can squeeze his recent hit single “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” onto the collection, along with a few others gems. The track is earworm good with its warm, acoustic guitar pop country swing, definitely an ‘immediate repeat’ selection. What is striking about this album is its airiness, the roomy separation between Tucker Pillsbury’s clean vocals and his often rather spartan approach to instrumentation. I mean, a track like “Oh Gemini” could easily slip onto a record by Joshua Radin or Calexio. In fact, the album is basically divided between a load of these gorgeous low-key folk numbers and a number of more energetic pop workouts. “Writing’s on the Wall,” “Deeply Still in Love” and “Scumbag” all pick up the pace while “Look At That Woman” falls somewhere in between. Standout tracks: “Superglue” with its ear-catching ‘whoo hoo hoo’s and closing number “The Longest Goodbye,” a Lyle Lovett winking tribute to country formalism.

Sometimes a record is a feast for the ears. Japanese Breakfast’s latest LP For Melancholy Brunettes (and Sad Women) is on that menu. The sonic impact of each of the individual tunes is deliciously distinct. Every instrument so carefully placed in the mix they emerge like landscape portrait details you notice as your eye sweeps across the picture. Feel how the timbre of the stringed instrument carrying “Orlando in Love” lets the vocal float somewhere above it. Or check out how the wavery keyboard effect on “Mega Circuit” gives the song a forward propulsion. Another aural standout is the sonic melange created on “Picture Window” with its melodic hints of light and dark. This might seem off brand but I hear a stong Jill Sobule kind of vocal intimacy from songwriter and lead vocalist Michelle Zauner. In the places the album alternates between a kind of orchestral complexity (“Honey Water”) and embroidered folk simplicity (“Little Girl”). Gorgeous doesn’t begin to really capture the beauty here.

I like think I’m eminently teachable. I’ll take direction from anyone if it leads me to great melodic tunes. So thanks Ava! And all the other Ava’s past and future who continue to give me great suggestions.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Breaking news: Jonathan Personne, The Loft, and Tristan Armstrong

06 Sunday Apr 2025

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In today’s news we’ve got some totally new finds. Some are going solo from their regular band duties while others get the band back together after decades of silence. All work the melody side of the street pretty hard.

Montreal’s Jonathan Personne is normally hanging with his psych-rock band Corridor. But he occasionally gets out a solo album with results that are wonderfully overwrought, combining elements of Morricone spaghetti western soundtracks, shoe-gazey dream vocals, and an easygoing indie-rock slouch. New album Nouveau Monde radiates personality from its striking cover, also designed by Personne. Things  kick off with the charging, unrelenting, utterly captivating “La vie, la mort.” Contrast the gritty guitar attack with airy sunshine pop vocals here, it’s a propulsive combination. From there things mostly slow down. “Deuxième vi” has a sixties folk pop feel, at least until what sounds like a bandsaw kicks in and rallies an intense challenge to the simple piano and vocals. By contrast, the guitars driving “Les jours heureux” are more conventionally poprock, enlivened by some neat organ work. The creativity in instrumenting this album is off the charts. Title track “Nouveau monde” has a repeating keyboard riff that is delightfully hypnotic. There’s also much variety amidst a recognizably consistent sonic palate. For instance, “Nuage noir” is aurally lush with a new wave edge that gets more intense over time while “Le cerf” gives off a late 1960s psychedelic vibe. And if I close my eyes I’d swear “Vision” is a Moody Blues deep cut. Standout track for me? “Zoé sur la montagne.” Just soft-rock gorgeous.

Not many bands get to make a debut album 40 years after they briefly flame in and out of existence but The Loft have done it, and with their original line-up intact. And they’ve really done it justice. Everything Changes Everything Stays the Same is a fabulous record from a pack of geezers who’ve clearly not been sitting idle all these years. All in all, the band sound tight and they are playing a killer batch of songs. Early release singles “Feel Good Now” and “Dr. Clarke” effectively showcase where this group is now. I really hear a lot of Paul Kelly on the former while the latter’s Beatlesque nods are joyously unmistakeable. Probably my favourite tune here is “Storytime” with its slightly melancholic demeanor and exquisite lead guitar work. “Somersaults” also has a slightly sombre, haunting quality. But a sense of boyish fun is also present on tracks like “Do the Shut Up” with its Squeeze-like playfulness or “The Elephant” which goes from jarring to smooth effortlessly.

Powerpopaholic rarely steers me wrong and the new Tristan Armstrong LP is no exception. The Lonely Avenue is a supercharged, bespoke slice of power pop. Though there’s a strong Americana undercurrent just about everywhere too. Title track “The Lonely Avenue” charges along shifting its sonic shading ever so slightly, drawing you in, closer and closer. Then “Periscope” offers what appears to be a nice acoustic ballad, at least until it picks up steam and intensity as it rolls along. Things shift again on “Sing In Your Sleep” with its lilting, almost country pop veneer. “The Lender” leans into the acoustic guitar to provide the serious swing driving this tune. Both “Gimme a Sign” and “Would You Take an IOU” work the Americana angle while “Queen of Diamonds” and “On the Run” get us back into power pop territory, the latter with some winning guitar work and a Matthew Sweet melodic charm. “Twice and Bright” is another acoustic guitar-led sparkler, with a Chris Isaak airiness.

That’s our update. If you want to get beyond the headlines hit the links above to dig a bit deeper into the musical details.

Photo courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Song sung spring

30 Sunday Mar 2025

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Winter hasn’t quite got the memo. Time to move along. I’m ready for spring to be sprung, full stop. Perhaps a few singles could help signal a seasonal shift? Probably not. But hey, we’ll all feel a whole lot better.

NYC’s Strange Neighbors are building up to something with the slow drip of singles they’ve been putting out these past few months. I’m not sure a single LP is gonna be able to contain the excitement from jumping the grooves if their latest song  “Hate Me Less” is anything to go by. It’s a sometimes jarring, sometimes smooth slice of hooky pop single-age. With hardly any dust settling on their late 2024 EP release Butter Valley Malcontent The Bret Tobias Set return with a few new singles, like “It Begins With Lean.” This one is just the change of mood we need, so light and shimmery and uplifting in a 1980s English guitar band sort of way. Baby Scream’s Juan Pablo Mazzola has a new project with Muchas Hormigas called Juan La Hormiga. Wow, this is a change of pace. “After the War” has some of Mazzola’s signature Lennonisms buried in the mix but overall the song is a lovely hushed affair with a melody like a warm embrace. The lap steel guitar solo is just an added element of grace. Geoff Palmer keeps mining that stripped-back poppy rock and roll on his soon-to-be released EP Kodak Flash. Case in point – “Bye Bye Baby.” So straightforward, so simple really. Just driving guitar chords, swoon-worthy background vocals and a hook so big it won’t fit in the trunk of your car. Peter Baldrachi has a fabulous new long-player out (but more on that later – full review to come). Right now check out his killer single from that latest release entitled “Tomorrow.” It’s got overlapping hooky guitar lead lines, a seductive vocal mix, and a strongly positive vibe. Like the Jayhawks meet The Church.

Described in a presser as ‘[p]rolific, mysterious, heartbreaking, dumb’ or more simply as a ‘LA-based lo-fi stoner pop band’ I’d just add that The Memories are full-on fun. There’s nary a release from this band that doesn’t make me smile. Their latest single “Too Weak to be Strong” is no exception. It’s an ambling stroll of good-time low-key pop, equally at home near the campfire or indie coffee shop. Few bands can make ‘uhhhn’ sounds like pop heaven but that’s what you get on Wavves new single “So Long.” The song’s lineage is pop punk but with all the edges sculpted into something rocket smooth. The vocals here meld with the rest of the sonic attack in a wonderfully seamless way. Forgive me if I’m reaching back in time to feature a song from Lydia Loveless. I feel like I’m constantly catching up on this fabulous artist. Here I’m dipping into her 2023 album Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again for the electrically charged spirit of “Poor Boy.” It combines pop, country and sibilant-sounding guitars in a totally unique way. We had to get to Portland eventually and Borderlines fills our quota with their pop punk ode “Okay Socrates.” Accent on pop here with buzzy guitars. The song is about a fear of growing old but somehow doesn’t sound like a downer at all. Speaking of old, even tried and true geezers can still cut the melodic mustard, given the right project. On The Coward Brothers LP Elvis Costello and T. Bone Burnett revive their collaboration from the King of America sessions that produced the one-off single “The People’s Limousine.” Check out the interesting vocal interplay on “Always” or the more Americana “Smoke Ring Angel.”

Scoopski‘s Jim Lorino needed a vehicle that would allow him to rock out a bit more while maintaining his love of clever melodic hooks. Enter The DelCobras, where the amps go up to 11 but the melodies remain oh so sweet. You can really hear the fun they’re having cranking through “The Turnaround.” I have a feeling there’s gonna be more where that came from. Looking for a blast of 1963, perhaps a bit of folky pop simplicity? Thee Holy Brothers nail the era on their new single “Come Shine Love.” The harmonies are gorgeous and the lead guitar is so evocative of the period. Switch this on and drift into a 1960s musical diorama. Eclectic Music Lover put me on Secret Postal Society and their latest song “Autumn Leaves.” What an ambience going on here, reminiscent of 1970s folk pop or more recent lush vocally-focused folk bands like Fleet Foxes. Mooner main man Lee Ketch has an experimental EP out entitled Spiritual Milk for American Babes and it is wonderfully, creatively, ‘out there.’ As a single “Living Will” perhaps comes off a bit more mainstream as grungy, country workout. Caleb Nichols hit Valentine’s Day with the holiday timely “Love Lies.” It is wah-wah pedal drenched with a vocal wash so Elliott Smith good. Definitely a worthy song collection addition. But while there, check out the tasty “Little Red Peugot.” It’s like The Shins on a folk roll.

Spanish power poppers The Feedbacks jack into the zeitgeist of our times with the sadly timely “Hate Is All Around.” The song has a Elvis Costello surf vibe and that is one killer combo. The McCharmlys charmed me right out the gate with their self-titled debut long-player. So my breath was definitely baited for their new single “You’ll Be Fine.” It does not disappoint, combining old school sixties songwriting with some garage-y lead guitar work. B-side “Break My Heart” is pretty chanteuse perfect too. Oslo Norway’s Death By Unga Bunga unleash the party vibe on “I’m Really Old” from their recent LP Raw Muscular Power. The AM radio pinched vocal treatment perfectly offsets the slashing electric chords. Wonderfully seventies manic. It is so hard to pick just one song from Eric van Dijsseldonk’s recent album Half Time. There’s the laconic Freedy Johnson-ish “Best Kept Secret.” Or the more rumbly, slow-moving “Maybe Not Today” with its constant bursts of jangly guitar. But I’ve decided to settle on the poppy title-track “Half Time.” Seems full of good sentiments for this moment in time. Somehow I missed Pete Donnelly’s late 2024 release Never Gonna Worry, notably produced by Mike Viola. Dip into it with “Dancing Daydream” for a bit jaunty, uplifting popcraft.

It’s a wrap on this singles shindig with something a bit more serious from music veteran Jim Basnight. He’s got a pair of singles that put America’s current political plight cleverly on display. And they’re great songs to boot.

Nazis Over There
So F*cked Up

It’s been a long lonely winter of discontent this year. I suspect the discontent is going to continue for a while but hey, maybe a song in our heart will warm things up.

Photo ‘Charles Sheeler Bucks Country Barn’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Should be a hit single: Softjaw “I Need You”

27 Thursday Mar 2025

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Last year I lauded Softjaw’s “Pleased With Me,” the opening track from their debut EP S/T. It was Stonesy singalong good fun. Now, as S.W. Lauden first noted on The Big Takeover and his Remember the Lightning substack, the band have returned this year with an enriched powerpop vibe. Both he and I caught the Big Star-meets-Cheap Trip drift of the opening riff on “I Need You” (as anyone would – you can’t miss it!). But when the vocals kick in the Beatles harmonies are unmistakable, aided by some classic Fabs descending guitar lines. The relentless pace of this brief two-and-half-minute song makes for a sonic thrill ride, an aural thing of beauty. You don’t get a much better distillation of power pop essence that this. And the nods to Big Star continue to run throughout the track. The video juxtaposes the band cranking out the tune with frenzied female Beatlesque crowd shots in a totally complementary way. I mean, this is a song made for jumping up and down. Since “I Need You” came out earlier this month another single has hit the airwaves (“Undercover Lover”), an indication of a full LP release sometime soon? Now that’s something I definitely need.

Fill your need for Softjaw at their Bandcamp site.

Around the dial: Lone Striker, Ryan Allen, and Randy Klawon

21 Friday Mar 2025

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Today’s radio spin reveals surprises from some of our usual suspects. Gotta stay tuned in to get the full picture.

I like Tom Brown. I’ve reviewed his Teenage Tom Petties and Rural France records and they’re reliably good. But his new Lone Striker project is a revelation, a carefully calibrated artistic montage of ‘found sounds,’ loops and samples. And hooks galore, of course. Album opener “Blip One” is a Beck-like pop crawl of a number, shrouded with lone prairie ghostly background vocals. Then comes the early release single “Dunno,” which had me at the mournful horn section opener. There’s a beautiful melancholy hovering all over this tune. It’s a song that seems so simple at the start but builds an emotional intensity. By contrast “The Cavalry” has a New Pornographers feel where the rhythm guitar almost looms in the background, offset by what sounds like a toy keyboard lead line. It’s curious, despite an overall sonic consistency to the record the different cuts here conjure up different moods. “Funny Way of Showing It” is breezy acoustic pop fun, “Never Blown a Kiss” has a Mavericks vocal intensity, while “Cursed Like Roy” lopes along like a Magnetic Fields-meet-Buddy Holly tune. Sometimes the vibe is baked into the choice of instrumentation, like the mournful harmonica and whistling on “Pinnochio” or the pedal steel guitar on “Hurry Up, You’re Taking Forever,” making any song a perfectly sketched miniature of mood.

Ryan Allen returns to his roots on his latest record, channeling the influences that shaped his tastes growing up. To that end Livin’ On A Prayer On The Edge dials down his usual levels of crunch and distortion to favour melody. You can hear the difference on album opener “I Should (But I Don’t Really Wanna)” with guitars that sound like a more dissonant version of Teenage Fanclub. Then “Lost in a Daze” and “Anxious All the Time” have a more Fountains of Wayne intensity. Basically this record is like a tour of duty with poppy guitar bands (and I’m all for signing up). You can definitely hear a Big Star kickstart to “After I’m Dead,” or a hazy Oasis guitar shimmer on “Conspiracy Theory” or even the pull of Squeeze in “When I’m Gone.” Radio-ready should-be hit singles? I’m voting “Company Eyes” and “So What Who Cares.” These are catchy poppy gems. Then it’s a wrap with the lovely, Kevin Devine-ish “In The Next Life.”

On Love and Sacrifice Randy Klawon steps out from his sideman role with The Flashcubes and The Half-Cubes to take the spotlight, gathering together a host of singles he’s been releasing over the past few years. And it’s about time. The guy has the soul of a classic poppy rock and roller that can effortlessly traverse decades of influences. Opening cut “Love and Sacrifice” lands somewhere in the 1970s. “Marlo Maybe” is more early 1980s AM soft rock. By the time we get to “Little Miss Sunshine” Klawon is working the same timeless indie poprock seam as people like Ed Ryan. In other words, the song could have come out anytime in the last few decades. But there’s also a strong Beatles DNA stamped across the album too, prominent on tracks like “Ordinary Day” and “Tonight.” On the singles front “She’s More Than I Want” is pretty brilliant single-age, with its touch of the Searchers plus The La’s. “Even When She’s Wrong, She’s Right” and “Don’t Want To Play” are both effortless singalong pop, perfect for wafting from somebody’s transistor radio somewhere.

Keep me guessing, that what I say. And keep hitting those hotlinks to keep these guys in guitar picks.

Photo courtesy Aaron Brown Flikr collection.

Deliciously Dent May

16 Sunday Mar 2025

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“Welcome to my record, welcome to the show …” So begins the first song on Mississippian Dent May’s 2009 debut album, The Good Feeling Music of Dent May and His Magnificent Ukulele. The tune’s called “Welcome,” naturally. The guy’s a showman and that’s obvious right out the gate. There’s a touch of the over-wrought all over this record, from the madly dorky themes (e.g. “College Town Boy”) to the tuba and ukulele instrumentation, and I love it. The vocal crooning here is simply exquisite, particularly on “At the Academic Conference.” Personally I prefer a few of these tunes in their demo form on the previously released EP A Brush With Velvet but you won’t go wrong with either.

As great as these two early releases are, art stands still for no man. Definitely not Dent May. Casting aside his uke and show crooner persona May developed a formidable array of musical personalities over the course of his next five albums. Each new Dent May album is like spending a day with a brand new friend. Everything is so new and novel and exciting. The transition began with 2012’s Do Things. The vibe is strongly Beach Boys with a touch of synth experimentation and seventies disco, particularly the bass work. “Fun” is your needle-drop essential cut here, a sure-fire repeat player. 2013’s Warm Blanket intensifies some of the Brian Wilson-isms on cuts like “Turn Up the Speakers” and “It Takes a Long Time” and takes them in new directions. It’s like Brian didn’t lose his mind after all. 2017’s Across the Multiverse steps on the Harry Nilsson pedal on songs like “Face Down in the Gutter of Your Love.” Then 2020’s Late Checkout is like a great big hug from so many 1970s sonic styles. There’s more than hint of yacht rock, some Rupert Holmes-worthy clever AM pop, and a lush feel to whatever instrument is up front in the mix whether its acoustic guitar, keyboard, or the vocal. Lead single “I Could Use a Miracle” really captures all this and more.

All of which brings us to the present, Dent May’s most recent album, 2024’s What’s for Breakfast? This one really is a level up from everything else, and everything else was pretty amazing. But here I think there’s more range across the songwriting and an effective deployment of May’s penchant for sonic washes from yesteryear. “One Call, That’s All” is should-be hit single material for sure. I’m already hitting replay. But “Coasting on Fumes” is actually my present fave from the record. Jordana’s vocal help really adds a something special while the taut lead guitar melody line makes for a striking backdrop. “Heaven on Wheels” is another rival for radio play, with a chorus hook built for car speakers everywhere. And I can totally hear Harry Nilsson doing a cover of “Singing for my Supper.” Album closer “Let’s Take It From the Top” nails an early 1980s soft rock feel.

You can dip in anywhere on Dent May’s deliciously creative oeuvre and you won’t be disappointed. He’s like an aural auteur, crystalizing a distinct sonic vision with each album he releases. Hit the bandcamp and website links to get access to the whole package and judge for yourself.

Spinning The Spindles

11 Tuesday Mar 2025

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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.

Extra Texture: Wilderado, Jake Bugg and Will Stewart

06 Thursday Mar 2025

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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.

Photo courtesy Indabelle Flikr collection.

Spotlight single: The Sonny Wilsons “Maybe”

28 Friday Feb 2025

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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.

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