Ryan Allen “What A Rip!”
Detroit’s Ryan Allen is back without his band Extra Arms, and his power-pop tendencies are more accentuated here. Starting with “Get To The Gig” it’s a rocking good time akin to The Velvet Crush and Sloan. “Already Gone” keeps the energy flowing with a rock and blues approach and “Feeling You Feeling Me” eases into a jangling rhythm, and those late sixties influences start to leak in. “On My Mind” is the catchy follow-up with an infectious hook that gets you right away and before you know it we are at the halfway mark.
Next, we have a slower tempo palette cleanser, “Election Night” which is highlighted with acoustic and electric overlapping leads. His love of ’70s rock (“VTO”) and late-era Beatles (“Only Son”) are also evident in the baroque “Shannon Cake” which has lots of sweet backing harmonies, minor chords, and quirky poetic lyrics. Although Ryan tries several styles, each song is carefully constructed. Overall a lot of stuff to love here, and that makes it a highly recommended album.
Teen Creeps “Forever”
Belgian trio Teen Creeps channel the late ’90s grunge and indie-rock effectively. Fans of Nirvana, Hüsker Dü, and Pavement will enjoy the pleasing fuzzy guitar textures here. “Seeing Shapes” starts us off with a strong lead and percussive combination. The vocals are buried under this, but the energy is effective. “Signal Dream” is a little more laidback, with a compelling chorus.
While there are requisite punk tunes (“Fall Out” and “Tourist”) it doesn’t take over the album, and the grungy drones of “Brothers” are more commonly heard. “Hideaway” brings to mind The Replacements, and “Toughen Up” combines the mellow and adds in a strong chorus to make it a highlight. The title track follows a similar formula, making this an album that deserves to be heard.
