Power pop veterans Wild Bores are back and the duo of John Whildin and Brian Chard concentrate their third album on strong melodies with toe-tapping rhythms. Starting with the up-tempo “Expect Me Now” its similar to The Dbs or Big Star with it’s catchy base line. Crunchy guitar riffs with controlled distortion rule “Biology” and it bumps up things a notch. There are strong riffs on “Forward Is Backwards,” but the vocals here seem buried or slightly off.
Thankfully the band doesn’t stray off course, as “Freake” is an excellent power pop single that we’ve come to expect from the Wild Bores. The production is not over polished and recalls classic REM or Chris Stamey in spots, with the memorable “Making A Sun” and the heavier “18 Miles” as highlights. The band tries a few experiments here on the quieter tracks, and some work (“Band of Thieves”) and some don’t (“Taking Time”). They break out the big horns for the closer “Same Time Tomorrow” and it’s a great song that highlights how much this band has developed. Check it out.