Supraluxe “The Super Sounds of Supraluxe”
After a few albums finding their sound, this Minnesota band has found its sweet spot. The lush melodies and classical influences are on unabashed display from its simple acoustic and xylophone opener “Every Little Piece.” The pastoral chord structures on “Lester Bangs” are just infectious. The soft baroque vocal and arpeggio on “When You’re Down” recall The Left Banke at its most winsome. Fans of the 70’s California sound will really enjoy “Go Nowhere,” it’s a real gem of steady rhythm and twanging guitar.
The band goes retro most of the LPs second half. On “New York City’s Not Alright,” its a tune that recalls both The Animals and The Doors. Every song has an angle, and a solid catchy hook as well. A really great epic tune is “Nail Biter,” with its combination of organ, synths, guitars that lead to a gorgeous instrumental outro. My only critique here is that the vocals seemed pushed too much to the background. But the emotions and lyrics for each song shine through and make this release a huge success.
Alan Hampton “The Moving Sidewalk”
Fans of David Mead should really get a closer look at Mr. Hampton. The lush melodies and a simple acoustic guitar is basically all he needs. “Staring At The Sun” has some light strings to support his sweet voice and sunny rhythm. A certain single is “Change Your Mind” with its halting strum and cascading chorus. “Loud and Clear” introduces some rock riffs into the chorus, and some nice vocal harmonies too. “Where Did You Go?” has a slow Spectorish hand clapped beat with some nice guitar distortions in the main hook.
A few songs don’t quite make it, but are easy to skip. There are plenty of gems here like “Oh My God” which may be the best Paul Simon song he never wrote. This is sophisticated pop with a slightly jazzy feel that makes it easy to recommend.
