Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Trolley and The Outfield

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Trolley “Things That Shine and Glow”
Fans of Rainbow Quartz bands and all neo-psychedelic rock rejoice! The Trolley connects the sound of nugget-era 60’s with the energy of today. The quartet has also been spotted at SXSW and IPO this year. From the opening bars of “I Woke Up” you’ll hear a chord reworking of The Seeds “Pushin’ Too Hard” and the sneering croon of Paul Wall. But the band is more than just a retro retread, as the next tune “My Obsession” shows, its got a solid hook filled melody and masterful composition. “The Calico Cat” continues this atmosphere, and the jangle filled “In The End” add bits of The Kinks, The Zombies and The Beau Brummels with each musical phrase.

The harmonies are notable on several tracks. Not everything here sticks, but the album has 14 tracks and most of them are highly recommended. Stand outs include “Out Of Love,” “Til I’m Gone” and “That Made Me Wanting You.” So light up the patchouli incense and tune into Trolley.

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The Outfield “Replay”
We’ve had a revival of sorts with several mid 80’s acts coming back to life this past summer (The Cars, Journey, Weird Al Yankovic) but I was really brought back to the era with the new album by The Outfield. It’s amazing that after all this time Tony Lewis’ voice can still hit those high notes (only Yes vocalist Jon Anderson is comparable) and it’s like we never left 1983. The band is true to it’s sound and some strong compositions are here with the anthemic “Aladdin’s Cave” and “California Sun” washes over you with it’s melodies, steady drumming, and solid harmonies.

In addition, these eighties icons grew up in the sixties and nostalgia is in full bloom with a tribute to Cream on the song “Disraeli Years.” On the other hand, if you never liked the Outfield or AOR arena rock to begin with, there is nothing here that will win you over. When it comes to reunions however I would say that this succeeds where The Cars revival feels artificial and forced. This fits rather nicely in the bands discography.

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The Kavanaghs “Love Conquers Pain”

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Argentinean rockers The Kavanaghs return for their sophomore album, and they have a more modern sound here. Singer and composer Tiago Galíndez tells us “In our first album we wanted to sound and to look retro. We wanted to be like our heroes, like the bands that influenced us. There’s a change in this new album”. Opening with the charging “Tonight” it favors 80’s styled angular riffs with a repeating synth keyboard melody. The next song “Come On (Before The Wind)” displays the band’s harmonies, drummer Seba Cairo does the vocal lead here and his accent is pretty thick. And those retro influences are less overt, but still there (thank goodness).

The mid tempo number “It’s Real” has a 70’s rock vibe with thick layered guitars,  and the songwriting is excellent. Another winner is the wonderful “Emma Peel” – a gorgeous bridge here that describes the singer’s obsession with swinging London’s favorite TV heroine. The band continues with the powerful “That’s All You Need To Know,” it has solid guitar melodies that recall both Badfinger and The Rollers. The ballads are also well written, with the group harmonies lifting “Those Days” and the McCartney-like croon of “About Tomorrow.” A few tunes here lack some hooks, and some ideas seem under-baked but when the band hits the mark, like on “Away From All We Know” it’s just magical. As a bonus; get 4 tracks for free at the Eternal Sunday promo page!

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Kelly’s Heels “Playing Into Your Hands”

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If you’re looking for great British power pop, then look no further than Kelly’s Heels. Bob Kelly’s guitar licks and solid vocals have been a reliable favorite of mine over the years, joined by the ferocious drumming of Jim Kimberley and the groovy bass lines of Isobel Kimberley. The band has been putting out quality music for over a decade now, so this album was most welcome. The sound of the band fits squarely in between Squeeze and Elvis Costello with a bit of  The Replacements thrown in. The mid tempo “After Tonight” is a brief intro that echos the classic Kinks romantic period as Bob intones “after tonight, I doubt we’ll ever see each other again.” Then the manic paced rock begins, “Anything But This” has a middle eight that will thrill fans of Glenn Tilbrook.

With the punk elements of the band put more in the background, pop songs like the pastoral “First To Say” hold your attention between the more frenetic tunes. Every song here is great, like “Next Time You Walk Out” with a bouncy harmonic and undeniable hook in the chorus. The Beatlesque “SundayMondayTuesday” is another winner and you may find yourself either energized or exhausted by the richness of earworms here. Fans of Mike Viola will appreciate the lyrical sweet poison of “Common As Conquest” as the compositions here are also the strongest to date, it really earns a top ten for 2011 nomination!

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Magnets & Ghosts and Miles Zuniga

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Halloween is over, but we can still witness the solo careers of artists rise from the ashes of their old bands, and note that both have used the term “Ghosts” in the title or band name.

Magnets & Ghosts “Mass”
Collective Soul Founding Member Dean Roland & Singer/Songwriter Ryan Potesta strike out as Magnets & Ghosts. The duo have many diverse musical influences, the opener “Hearts of Everyone” has more in common with the alt band Love & Rockets than CS. But it doesn’t take long for a true rock classic to emerge on “Hearts of Everyone” with it’s impressive catchy chorus.  The title track slowly fades in, with solemn Gregorian chants and a single piano note, it leads to the very Coldplay-like ballad “Hold On” full of orchestral sweeps and echoing strings. Another great track is “The Sea and The Sound” with it’s quick rhythms and mult-tracked chorus similar to U2.  The most unique song here is “I Want You” as the hand claps and drum start the chanting “whoa, whoa”  but the piano brings across a melody that recalls both Bryan Scary and Depeche Mode. There is just enough here to keep Collective Soul fans interested (“Like A Sunday”), but make no mistake this is a clear alt. pop album that will appeal outside their traditional fan base to audiences that appreciate Arcade Fire, British Sea Power and Polyphonic Spree. Some sonic indulgences here ( like “Half-Awake”) but overall a very good start to a new band made up of old mates.

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Miles Zuniga “These Ghosts Have Bones”
Fastball frontman Miles Zuniga lets his pop flag fly on his solo debut. What can I say but this is the broken hearted romantic rocker’s perfect album. Opening with the melodic “Marfa Moonlight,”  it’s a catchy and quirky delight that McCartney used to do. The melodies may be sweet but as “Rock Paper Scissors” boasts “violence and razor blades forever more” it brings to life inner doubts and rotten core of a dying relationship. The plain speaking story of betrayal in “Feel It In Your Kiss” has a retro-70’s feel here. The album wry centerpiece “The Weatherman” has Miles joined by jazz singer Kat Edmonson in a slow Ray Davies styled song of resignation about climate change. “Wicked” is a soulful mid-tempo rocker that recalls John Lennon with the chorus “She’s wicked, Wicked and cruel – Oh, she’ll make a fool of you” and it could be the twin track to “Sexy Sadie.” Another tune of love ruined is “Elizabeth” with both masterful lyrics and composition. The song cycle of the album does have some hopeful notes, with “Working On A Love Song,”  but even this is a false hope as most of this is just Miles exquisite suffering of “heartache and regret” (as heard on “You Can’t Break My Heart.”) Not a single weak song here and highly recommended, as it’s the best emotional release/therapy for a recent divorce you’ll ever hear. Repeat listens required and a top ten album for sure.

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Greg Pope “Monster Suit”

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One of my favorite power pop artists, Greg Pope puts on his Monster Suit for Halloween. We mentioned before that he is making a film called Giant Monster Playset. This is the soundtrack album, and in typical Greg Pope fashion – its got a pile of great songs. The music follow the films narrative and like his last album Blue Ocean Sky, it has a fair amount of fuzzy guitar and pysche-pop pastiche. The faux Hendrix opener “Modern Plaything” gives way to a Soundgarden styled wall of dense guitars. A bit more impressive is the soft vocal of “Soulless Heart” that leads us to a strong hook in the chorus. And there’s more, “The Chance You Don’t Take” is another gem with guitar strum and double tracked vocal.

Some nice guitar work is part of the long intro on “Place On The Hill” and it’s  comparable with The Who’s Tommy. The 70’s band Free is another point of reference on “The Last Time” as the slow march builds up to a satisfying crescendo. Some of the tracks are just wonderfully atmospheric like the instrumentals “There May Be Thousands” and “Monster Chase.” The crashing cymbals on “This Is Goodbye” makes this mid-tempo love song bounces along its warm melody a la Badfinger. The song “Your Love” feels more like Robert Pollard’s style, but the underwater vocals don’t quite fit here. Since it’s a soundtrack and not a singles collection there are less hooks than in previous works, but any Greg Pope album is a worthy investment and will satisfy your craving for crunchy guitar pop. Can’t wait for the film!

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