Author: powerpopaholic

With the help of The Spongetones alum Jamie Hoover, Frank Royster produces his most accessible and catchy album yet. Like a rogue Wilbury, the infectious opener “Mr. Wonderful” has everything a power pop fan could possibly want. Royster’s vocals are full of character, like a mix of John Popper and Randy Newman – and often double tracked to smooth out the rough spots. Unlike his first album, the classic pop influences are more pronounced here like the up tempo Beatlesque “She’s Not Alone” and the slight country bend of “Can’t Make Me Smile.” The songs all have smart harmonies and catchy hooks that stick like glue, a big highlight is the lyrically touching “Brena You,” with it’s Billy Joel styled pounding piano chords. Every song has that fab guitar jangle from “Oh Mary” to the cover of “Every Little Thing” and it just doesn’t get old. This is out on Kool Kat Musik’s label and comes with a bonus disc filled with demo and acoustic tracks. A real triumph that should be savored again and again.

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Texas designer David Tenczar chucked the grey corporate advertising world to form his dream band, The Greatcoats.  And what a dream it is, full of authentic melodies, double tracked harmonies and catchy hooks all over his debut release. David uses vintage instruments and uptempo beats, and his voice on the a cappella chorus of “Birdsong”is impressive. The guitar strum and vocals on “Come Up and See” are almost a dead ringer for Allan Clarke of The Hollies. The reverence for classic British pop is further evidenced by the inspiring “In England.” The soaring folk pop of “Slow Me Down” is another polished gem that comes closer to Wilco or Ben Kweller with a retro fetish. “Face” is another mid-tempo song that builds along to a strong chorus and is a favorite as well. A simple guitar jangle usually starts off the song, and on “My Dear” it harkens back to those mid-70s singer-songwriter classics. The party atmosphere and descriptive “Lady Lampshade” serves as a study of David’s mastery of melody and lyric. Not a single bad song here, as the atmosphere is mostly cheerful and laid back. He excels with the intimate pop songs, and is less successful with the more commercial sounding “Stop,” but that’s a minor speed bump here, he wraps it all up with the expansive sound of “The Scarce Few.” One of the more inspired debuts this year.

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