Plenty of great new power pop albums have emerged on major labels recently. They are all excellent and too important to ignore.
Wilco “Wilco”
On the seventh disc Wilco seems to have found its sweet spot with more recent albums, the songs are both gentle and melodic. The self titled track (“Wilco, the song”) is a love letter to all of Tweedy’s fans. And it journeys from the subtle introspection (“Country Disappeared”) to mid tempo love songs (“I’ll Fight”). A great example of the old experimental sound is the building chords of “Bull Black Nova.” But for pop fans nothing comes close to the beauty of “You Never Know” and the awesome “Sunny Feeling” which recall the
Summerteeth era. Finally a Wilco album that needs no apologies – just praise.
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Cheap Trick “The Latest”
The godfathers of power pop continue to show why they are masters of the genre, from the opening chords of “When The Lights Go Out” you’ll be sold. Robin Zander’s vocals are as strong as ever, and the band sounds exactly the way fans have come to expect. Another high-powered gem, “Miss Tomorrow” is classic Trick, and “Sick Man Of Europe” is a louder punkier tune that holds it’s own with bands like Jet and The Hives. Plenty of hooks and overall much better than 2005’s Rockford. In fact this album stands out as one of the best Cheap Trick records in many, many years.
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Silversun Pickups “Swoon”
One of the most underrated releases this year, the band combines the ethereal textures of Arcade Fire and the mesmerizing vocals and melodies of Smashing Pumpkins. “There’s No Secrets This Year” starts a majestic journey into fuzz guitars and orchestral strings. “Panic Switch” is comparable to Propellerheads and the catchy pop of “Substitution” are hard to ignore. The bass leads the listener across this multi-layered production that will capture your attention for sure. The slower tunes tend to blend in a bit, but this is meant to be heard as an album, not a bunch of singles.
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Sugar Ray “Music for Cougars”
Opening with a forgettable hip hop remake of The Everly Brothers “Girls are Made To Love,” Mark McGrath makes pop that your mom can play in the car stereo. In fact Mark has the hots for your mom with “She’s Got The (Woo-Hoo)” and it recalls the laid back sound of the hit “Someday.” Thankfully the commercial sound gives way to some catchy music as “When We Were Young” is a hand-clapping gem. The latter half of the album does a great job, as the excellent guitar riffs of “Going Nowhere,” faux country ballad of “Love 101,” and “Morning Sun” will get you singing. This is fun, lightweight music made for the beach. Play this and have a cold one.
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Green Day
“21st Century Breakdown”
Probably the most anticipated release this summer. It will be hard to top the Grammy winning “American Idiot” – but it does follow a similar thematic template. In fact, they continue to split the album between their punk roots and fully embraced hook-filled power pop melodies. These guys just get better with each album, and they continue the winning streak here. “21st Century Breakdown” goes all Sweet and Queen with driving guitars, and “Know Your Enemy” is classic Green Day pop. There are plenty of piano and sweeping guitar ballads like “Before The Lobotomy” the wonderfully Beatlesque “Last Night On Earth” — and I openly wonder if an Extreme/Green Day tour wouldn’t be the greatest ever. Plenty to love here as almost every song shines with those patented speedy riffs set to a full blown rock opera. Most likely the best major label release this year.
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