Jordan Jones is a singer/songwriter from Los Angeles with solid melodic skills, and his latest EP, And, I, You, is a gorgeously rendered piece of 70s-influenced pop. Clear influences from ELO, Hall & Oates, Fleetwood Mac, and Gilbert O’Sullivan. While his previous LP earned kudos for its Rundgren-like rockers, this slickly produced slice of soul is another side of this brilliant artist. It’s a quick listen and likely will be on my top ten EPs for the 2024 list. Get this gem on Kool Kat Musik.
I don’t think I gave Curling a fair shake or a good listen last year, and now it’s getting the “deluxe” treatment. The angular guitar melody of “Shamble” recalls Colin Moulding, and there is more here that deserves to be heard, especially the inspiring “Hi-Elixir.” Japan’s power poppers Calendars are back with a quick single, “Apart” and it’s great to hear them again. While we are overseas, Portuguese rockers Sirius Voltage deliver “For Your Dreams,” a riff-tastic slice of swagger. On a lighter note, Little Miss Echo brings to mind Papernut Cambridge meets The Beta Band, with the catchy “Optigan.” Finally, a Motown melody from Suzy Goodwin, mixed by studio master Michael Carpenter.
This year’s top EP list had to grow in several respects. To begin, there has been a marked decline in the release of albums compared to the explosive growth of singles and EPs, and this trend is likely to continue; moreover, the melodies produced by EP performers are often more lively and experimental. BTW, my definition of an EP is an album with 9 songs or less. Most of these have been featured, and a few I just never got around to posting. All are listenable on Bandcamp! Thanks for your patience!