Ryan Allen “The Last Rock Band”
Ryan Allen has not let up since his top-ten-rated album from last year. This time Allen and his bandmates have a concept album about the rise and fall of the “last” rock band. It’s loaded with anthemic melodies, pounding percussion, and dense guitar riffs from beginning to end, starting with the title track “The Last Rock Band.” The classic approach reminded me a little of Nick Piunti, as it asks the question “is rock dead?” It goes through the timeline of the story, from the “Discovery,” of the sound that “changed my life” to the excellent “Start A Band.” Ryan hits the power pop sweet spot with almost every track.
Allen emulates the obvious in “Like The Ramones,” and shreds even harder on “Wrong Place Wrong Time” about the downfall of the last band’s excesses. The only misfire is “Bought A Computer,” a lament of Luddite musicians told through the synth rhythm. But the music is kicked up a notch with “Second Act,” and the epic “We Have Returned.” At times, Allen’s vocals get a little buried in the mix, but the hooks are so strong here it’s hard to complain. If you want a prime example of modern power pop melded with classic rock, we have it here. Super highly recommended.
Butch Walker “Butch Walker as… Glenn”
Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Butch Walker has come a long, long way from his time in the power pop band The Marvelous Three. The native Georgian had a long prolific solo career and is still a sought-after producer (Green Day, Pink, Taylor Swift) but this time he changes his persona to “Glenn,” a late ’70s troubadour fashioned as a Southern version of Billy Joel with a touch of John Mellencamp when the guitars kick in. The concept album takes place in a “club” where a bar fight breaks out halfway through happy hour.
The beauty of this piano man act is that many of the songs are really good. The first song, the ballad “Leather Weather (Mr. and Ms. Understanding)” will touch that nostalgic part of your brain, and the catchy “Roll Away (Like a Stone)” recalls a long-lost Jackson Brown single. “Avalanche” and “Holy Water Hangover” are sleepers that will also stay with you after a few plays. The poignant ballad “Don’t Let It Weigh Heavy on Your Heart,” a duet with Elizabeth Cook, is a song designed to make you cry into your beer. Fans of this classic rock era will love it. Highly Recommended.
