This edition of the news contains a superstar quartet, with material literally hot off the presses. These very new releases are headliners all, teeming with should-be chart-climbing tunes. Set your mood ring to maximum joy.
Self-described ‘bleeding hearts power pop band’ Afterpartees mix an earnest yearning with blasts of quirky youthful fun on album number three Family Names. The opening cut and title track showcases a lot of what follows: an engaging, playful melody, some almost jazzy guitar riffs, and a cramped, endearing 1980s vocal intimacy. Then “Melatonia” rocks things up a bit more with some New Order-worthy guitar lines and chord strumming. The band cite Parquet Courts and Jonathan Richman as influences as you can definitely hear a bit of that going on when “I Don’t Want the World to Stop” plays. But at other times the band channels a laconic Lou Reed wild side vibe on tracks like “The Bunn.” This tension between a rockier sensibility and a more contemplative jazzy pop mood defines the album. “The Parade” and “Running Around” get rockier, with some great organ and catchy lead guitar lines carrying the tunes. Then “Every Cowboy is a Winner” and “Poolside, Midnight” revel in their quirky pop lack of convention and bouncy punch. “Some People Are Talking” is a real treat, like Jonathan Richman meets the Rolling Stones in midtempo single mode. Family Names is really something different but still oh-so relatable.
As charter members of the Caledonian jangle mafia, Glasgow’s U.S. Highball do not disappoint on album number three A Parkhead Cross of Mind. The sparkling guitars jump out all over this place on this record. Not that there aren’t surprises. Gone are the lingering folky affectations that were a key element of the duo’s debut Great Record in favour of a more consistent loud pop sound. The record opens with the distinctive punchy guitar of “Mental Munchies” but when the vocals kick in it’s all ‘welcome back boys.’ “Double Dare” also starts in a new register, the programmed drums and keyboards a departure but, really, the tune and vocal performance are so reliably familiar (in a good way). So despite what appears to have been a concerted effort to give this record a new sound the results really just build on of the band’s two great strengths, solid guitar-based tunes and uplifting vocals. The experimentation is sometimes exquisite, like the effective Johnny Marr guitar resonance that opens “By the Clydeside.” But I’m a sucker for a great hooky guitar chord-led song like “(You’ve Got To) Activate a Carrot” and “Jump to the Left.” “Down in Timperley” kicks off with a vibe that is very Squeeze “Another Nail in My Heart” before blooming into its own perfect pop confection. “Almost Cut My Hair” owes more to Crowded House than Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (this is, in fact, a totally different song from the CSNY tune of the same name). Then there’s the big vocal numbers like “Grease the Wheel” and “Bleatings from Yorkshire” with their uplifting harmony singing. You might notice A Parkhead Cross of Mind for its stylish colourful cover but it’s what inside that will capture your heart.
Ever since Fastball charged back into the limelight in 2017 with their fantastic Step Into Light album (after an eight year absence) they’ve been regularly releasing strong material. Their new EP is Soundtrack and while just four tunes long they’re all a treat, worthy of a band with a reputation for solid indie Beatles-inspired hooks. I mean, just listen to the roll out to opening cut and title track “Soundtrack” – perfection! The guitar lead line locks into the song like a long lost puzzle piece. It’s a time trip to the best 1981 hit-oriented FM radio of Tom Petty or Greg Kihn. “Chump Change” goes from zero to serious rocking pretty much instantly, with an almost CCR-like intensity. “House on the Edge of the World” is a bit more wistful, with a SoCal feel and a very cinematic lead guitar line that haunts that last third of the song. “Electric Cool-Aide” is just great poprock that I could hear Marshall Crenshaw or The Smithereens covering. Gentlemen, more please!
The indie music media are all over Young Guv’s new album Guv III and why not? It’s a non-stop jangle fest, crammed with hooky tunes that spill out into adjacent genres. “I Couldn’t Leave You If I Tried” opens the album with a very Matthew Sweet guitar feel but then quickly takes Brydsian flight. So far, no surprises. But with “It’s Only Dancing” the mood shifts to a decidedly late 1970s vibe, still jangle but now more pop. Kinda like what Daniel Romano’s been putting out for years. “Lo Lo Lonely” is different again, with a bit of glam impact accompanying the Marc Bolan wash on the vocals. The rhythm guitar opening “Only Wanna See U Tonight” sounds almost naked, there’s so little sibilance, at least until it gets going. The song has a very 1970s AM pop feel, some Big Star in the vocals, with a Harrison lead guitar solo slipped in the middle. “Good Time” trades Tom Petty Americana influences with a Partridge Family pop polish in the chorus. “Same Old Fool” is a straightforward jangle wonder. And check out the roll-out lead guitar line kicking off “She Don’t Cry For Anyone” – wow! Is it an homage to late 1960s British garage rock or late 1970s American new wave? Either way, get your skinny tie on. The album ends with another surprising turn, hitting the tempo brakes on “April of My Life,” sounding very Beatles 1967 psychedelic pop. Apparently Guv IV is due out later this year. Hard to imagine what the band can deliver to top this.
You’re going to want to stop the presses to catch your breath given these fabulous releases but do not touch that dial. Just let it all wash over you. Good news like this can’t be held back.
It’s something that’s all around us. Everyone is caught up and defined by it. Yet it is almost never publicly acknowledged, let alone commented on. Let’s change that. We live in a world defined by class, organized economically and experienced socially. A properly functioning culture would reflect on that. So today’s post is all about melodic ruminations on class.
What were the biggest hits that weren’t in 2017? Who were the biggest should-be stars? In our alternate universe here at Poprock Record, these guys were all over the charts, the chat shows, the scandal sheets, as well as memed all over Facebook, Snapchatted by the kids, and Instragrammed into oblivion. Jesus, they were so popular you are well and truly sick of them by now. But sadly for our poprock heroes, the universe is not just ours to define. In the world beyond our little blog, they could all use another plug.
Daisy House dominated my playlist this year, both their current record and their back catalogue. They channel the 1960s but never let it wholly define them. They have two amazing singers and one fabulously talented songwriter. They deserve all the accolades the internet can hand out. If this were 1970 they’d probably be headlining The Flip Wilson Show tonight. The Rallies were an accidental discovery that turned into an obsession. Their whole album is great but “Don’t Give Up” makes my heart twinge every time. Aimee Mann and Fastball ably demonstrated this year that veterans can still turn out fantastic, career-defining albums. And I got to see both of them live! Los Straightjackets did Nick Lowe proud, producing a phenomenal tribute to his body of work. “Rollers Show” was my go-to summertime happy tune.
I won’t review every selection from the two-four, but I will say that I think the mix of poprock I feature on the blog is evident here. There’s fast and slow, country and rock, guitars and keyboards, etc. And then there’s always the hooks. Case in point: check out the 42 second mark on Greg Kihn’s “The Life I Got.” If you don’t feel the excitement he creates with some classic poprock guitar arpeggiation and the subtle vocal hook you’re kinda missing what we’re doing here. Here’s hoping 2018 is as hit single worthy as this past year has been!
I am going to sneak in an honourable mention for what I consider the compilation of year: 
Putting a famous name in your song title would seem to be a sure fire way to have a hit. Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” or Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” readily come to mind. But really, those are the exceptions. A quick search of the internet actually turns up a whole bevy of celebrity names on songs, mostly on the indie side of things, most of them album cuts. So why do bands do it? Homage? Satire? Or are they just as celebrity obsessed as everyone else? The French duo Please was formed and recorded a song with the sole explicit intent of getting a response from Paul McCartney – not that Paul appeared to notice! The range of material covered in this post gives us a bit of all these approaches, from hero worship, to ridicule, to little more than just mentioning the celebrity name.
Are you a fan of Fastball? If you love straight up rock and roll with a keen sense of melody, you should be. Fastball is another band that I somehow missed when they broke out in the 1990s and have only just discovered recently. Now when you mention Fastball to people they nearly always know “The Way” and that’s about it. Sure, it’s a great song but I’m not even sure it’s the best song on that album, let alone the defining moment of their career. This is band that just keeps getting better and better with each album release.
Their debut album from 1996, Make Your Mama Proud, lays out the basic genius at work here. This is a band that gels solidly around the rock and roll combo fundamentals – solid beat, hooky lead guitar lines, and a generous helping of harmony vocals – captured nicely in the featured tune here, “Seattle.” Then came their breakout album, 1998’s All the Pain that Money Can Buy with its monster single “The Way.” Personally I prefer “Fire Escape,” “Slow Drag,” and the brilliant “Out of My Head.” The band followed up that hit album with The Harsh Light of Day, a record that really pushed the development of their sound melodically and sonically (let those guitars ring!), apparent on tracks like “Don’t Give Up On Me.” But audiences didn’t take to the new sound and sales fell off precipitously.
The band pressed on in 2004 with what might be their greatest achievement, Keep Your Wig On. The songwriting on this record is amazing, with Petty-esque brilliance on tracks like “Perfect World,” and “Our Misunderstanding,” or the easygoing, almost Eagles-like confidence of “Someday” or “Mercenary,” or the Mexicali fun of “Red Light.” Five years later, Little White Lies took the band into a more melody-drenched direction and the should-be hits are many: check out the James Bond undercurrent to “Little White Lies,” the great swing of “Mono to Stereo,” or the nice Beatles’ touches and bouncy piano on “She’s Got the Rain.”
Fast forward to 2017 and Fastball are back after an absence of eight years with what I am prepared to boldly declare may be their best record yet: Step Into Light. The record blasts off with “We’re On Our Way,” a rocking number with a few ELO flourishes on the keyboards. Vocals give way from the more rough-hewn Mike Zuniga to the oh-so-smooth Tony Scalzo on the next track, “Best Friend,” a song that screams hit single with its propulsive, driving hookiness. Other candidates for hit single include the Beatlesque “I Will Never Let You Down” (with its great video!) and the very catchy “Just Another Dream.” The care in choosing the instrumental mix on this record is impressive. Check out the nice guitar bits on “I Will Never Let You Down” that echo George Harrison’s simple and straightforward guitar lines on a host of mid-career Beatles records. Or the jaunty acoustic guitar that anchors “Behind the Sun,” clearly an homage to McCartney’s felicitous picking on tunes like “Mother Nature’s Son.” I could go on. Suffice to say, there isn’t a bum track here – if you like one song, you’re going to want the whole album.
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