Ice Cream Hands “No Weapon But Love”
Likely Melbourne Australia’s finest power pop band, Ice Cream Hands is exactly what we need right now. When singer/guitarist Charles Jenkins, guitarist Marcus Goodwin, bassist Douglas Lee Robertson, and drummer Derek Smiley reunited after a 13-year absence, it was like they never left us. This is a band that knows how to write great songs, with amazing guitar melodies and soaring harmonies. And they haven’t lost a step.
The title track “No Weapon Of Love” is a bold opening statement. “Everybody got to live together, Everybody got to grow together,” a massive chorus about unity that updates The Beatles’ message of “All You Need Is Love” for the new millennium. Next, “So Happy Apart” starts with a simple bouncy piano verse that turns into a joyful version of Harry Nilsson playing with Jellyfish. Horns add to the anthem, and a perfect guitar break makes it complete. Jenkins’s soulful vocal looks back on “Somehow We Never Got Together” as the Harrison-like slide guitar flows along. The band feels so comfortable, the songs have an unforced beauty that just washes over you.
The ballads take on a wistful tone, and “February Falls” takes on a near-religious tone, like a Brian Wilson choral. Not a note is wasted here, and “Thank You” goes through a list of musicians that influenced the band from The Only Ones to The Ramones (and Spencer P. Jones). Without a doubt, one of the band’s best albums — it will rank high on my 2020 year-end list.
Supercrush “SODO Pop”
Like comfort food, Supercrush closely follows late 90s power pop bands like Teenage Fanclub, the Posies, and Velvet Crush. The songs are short, punchy, and filled with hazy vocals about love and heartache. Musician Mark Palm and his band (Phil Jones, Allen Trainer, Bob Reed, Inna Showalter, Greg Ehrlich, and Jay Kardong) effectively recreate that sound with a layer of shoegaze and post-punk fuzz that’s both familiar and engaging.
One issue is that the songs start to blend together a little, as they all follow the same template. A few exceptions include new wave-influenced “Parallel Lines” which could’ve been leftover from an old Ocean Blue record. The album title looks as if they misspelled “soda”, but they are actually referring to the name of Seattle’s south of the downtown business district. Recommended tracks include “Get It Right,” “Be Kind to Me,” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” Overall Highly Recommended.
