The news rolls in like the tide. Nothing can stop it, thank goodness. Here are the details on a few new breaking stories to come across our desk recently. To be filed under ‘melody central.’
Man it has been a long wait for the Softjaw long-player but the self-titled debut is finally out on Dandy Boy Records. The LP basically gathers together all the recently released singles and the material from the 2024 S/T EP, sequencing them in the order the songs were released. To have them all in one place only reinforces the retro new-wave pop genius of this combo. Things kick off strong with the 1979 perfect “Pleased With Me.” “Don’t Go Walking Out” just adds to the retro allure with its killer pop hooks. “Waiting at the End” is right in the mid-1970s pop groove. “Dragging My Feet” has obvious Beatlesque charms. However “I Need You” is the obvious should-be hit single with its strong Big Star flash. The newer tracks lean in a Todd Rundgren direction, particularly on “Working Too Hard.” “Playing Bogart” is something else again, with a slight Americana feel. This is a debut album that is a guitar-hook rush from start to finish. There’ll be no pausing when Softjaw hits the turntable.
The Pretty Flowers know their way around a hook but still somehow sound like a distant cousin of something more punk. There’s some residual edginess embedded in these otherwise melody-strong tunes that populate their new record Never Felt Bitter. “Thief of Time” is an amazing song to launch the record with. It’s got an easygoing charm, from the folksy vocals to the streamlined lead guitar lines. It grabs you and won’t let go. “Convent Walls” hit some of these notes too. Then “To Be So Cool” puts its edge up front, like the progeny of some punky forefather. Big choruses feature on number of tracks here, like “Oceans Swimming” and “Tough Love.” “Come Back Kicking” sounds like the single. It opens dynamically and keeps the surprises coming, like the killer harmony vocals in the chorus. “Big Dummy” is another radio ready track with its rough singalong quality. Some material has a darker feel, like title track “Never Felt Bitter (We Burn)” and “Ring True.” “Feel a Little Vague” is another departure, filling a broad sonic landscape with a big and sonorous sound. Things end with another twist as “Not Dissolve” delivers something more tender.
Seems everybody’s talking about Quinn Hawkins. The power pop blogs have decreed his new album Eccentric a must listen and I have to agree. You only need to needle-drop your way through his first album track “Can’t Wait To Go To Bed Every Night” to hear the Beatles and XTC bona fides. It also reminds me of Utopia in their heyday. Really, you can pick out so many distinct possible influences here. I hear a bit of Pugwash coming through on “Last Person in Town” or even some Mark Everett in his solo ‘E’ guise on “Nothing Seems To Kill Me Now.” “(Back Off) I’m On Vacation” is perfect Andy Partridge dissonant pop while “Souvenir in the Dirt” and “Cleaning Out My Mind” hit the XTC marks pretty effortlessly. McCartney is another strong contender for ka ey influence with “Don’t Want to Fight You Again” sounding very Macca pretty. Or there’s “Hawaiian Stress” which sounds like a mash-up of McCartney II-meets-Beck. Power pop records are guitar-centric as a rule but a number of tunes here are piano dominant, like “Don’t Call Me Your Future” and “Different Level of Hell.” Singled out for the hit single I’d choose “Love the Thought of You” with its strong defining electric lead guitar line that carries on throughout the song.
Music City’s Welcome to Music City is definitely located in the 1970s. From the opening chords of album opener “It’s Alright” it’s pure 1970s power pop time. Then both “When the Day Comes By” and “Do I?” lighten the mood in a California pop style. “A Matter of Time” even adds an AM radio pop single vibe in a Phil Seymour or April Wine vein. There are rockier moments here too. “Common Sense” has a looser rock and roll swing akin to the early 1970s-era Kinks. “You Remember” has a combo of organ and guitar faintly reminiscent of 1981 Springsteen and Tom Petty but takes it to a different place. New wave gets a look in on “Pretty Feelings” and “The Conversation.” It’s that distinctive rhythm guitar work. Lighter singer-songwriter pop touches colour “Photograph and the Big Star-ish “Little Favour.” And then things end with a bit orchestral pop on “Something’s On Your Mind.” Book your trip now to Music City – it’s just a hyperlink away.
Who needs sports and weather when you’ve got headlines like these? Finally, some good news for a change.
Photo courtesy Alex Eylar Flikr collection.
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