Category: Power Pop Review

Mark Lane “Something New”

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West coast singer songwriter Mark Lane has grown since his debut Golden State of Mind. The disciple of Jason Faulkner (Jellyfish) and Rusty Andserson (Paul McCartney’s band) knew his way around a great melody early on, rooted in classic hooks on the debut – now he adds more muscle to his compositions on Something New.

Explaining the title track, Mark says he’s “looking at all stuff you have in your life, the things you might take for granted or think are mundane, and fabricating something new from them.” The grand opening “For Whom It Concerns” slowly builds into a dreamy rock lullaby. “Back In The Swing” is a sweet Lennonesque piano tune that fans of Paul Bertolino or Ryan Lerman will hum along to. Each song is carefully crafted, the ornate “Her” is a dramatic action theme, and “The King Of Silence” is a ghostly pop gem with a killer guitar solo at the break. The album goes at a deliberate measured pace, so soak up each melody line. This is another 2012 album that deserves to be shoe-horned into my top 10 list somewhere.

The Charlestones and Secret Friend

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The Charlestones “Off The Beat”
This impressive Italian band sounds very similar to Supergrass and Oasis on the opener “Off The Beat” full of driving rhythm and Mattia Bonanni’s wailing vocal. “Love Is A Cadillac” has the airy guitar work and echoing melody along the lines of Coldplay, its a great stadium-sized rocker and proof that Brit pop can still find a home beyond the borders of the UK. Each song is compelling, like “The Girl Who Came To Stay,” it has great melody and one of the many highlights of this album. Unlike the debut, no filler here and fans of great alt. rock like The Kooks or The Stokes will also love this. Highly recommended!

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Secret Friend “Time Machine” 
Secret Friend is a new all star collective that includes Willie Wisely, Kelly Jones, Linus of Hollywood, and Roger Joseph Manning Jr. Organized by Australian songwriter Steven Fox, Time Machine is rooted in classic 70’s singer songwriter pop. Wisely has a cadence like James Taylor here, but the rich melody and backing make the opener “Who Am I?” a sure-fire hit.

“Starting Today” is another gem with sweet harmonies, and “Never Before” has subtle strings and lyrically falls into Gilbert O’Sullivan territory. Wisely’s “Oblivious” is a note perfect pop ballad and Kelly Jones “He’ll Never Know Me” is the jazzy answer to the narrative. Each musician helps make this LP a success. Foxs’ songwriting is very much like Andrew Gold, albeit with a modern POV. Many great songs here — it makes my Top Ten list for 2013 easily! A delectable slice of adult piano pop heaven.

Rob Bonfiglio and Jim Noir

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Rob Bonfiglio “Mea Culpa”
Bonfiglio (Wanderlust) continues to expand his sound from his debut. This time his combination of pop and rock influences are more varied, the opener “The Message” still has roots in the 70’s  and 80’s but the key changes and melodic bridges bring out the songs hopeful inspiration.

“Eyes On The Prizes” has a fantastic Lindsey Buckingham styled rhythm and chorus. “Just What You Are” channels Lenny Kravitz and “Fooled Myself” could be a lost Steve Eggers tune. No filler anywhere here and plenty of soulful adult pop included with those rock and roll riffs. His wife’s band Wilson Philips looks like it rubbed off a bit more on this album, with more harmonies and clearer background vocals. Overall a great LP that makes my new best of 2013 list.

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Jim Noir  “Jimmy’s Show”
Noir takes the best of 60’s Carnaby Street pop and updates it with melodic magic on his past albums, taking the listener on a journey through a psychedelic side show carnival. It’s unfortunate that Noir seems to be musically loitering on Jimmy’s Show. It starts out pleasantly enough with “The Tired Hairy Man With Parts,” a sweet Kinks slice of English life. “Tea” is another good standout, with its manta-like verses “I just want a cuppa tea” and its choral harmonies.

However, many songs seem unfinished sketches dragged out to full length. “Sunny” and “Driving My Escort Cosworth To The Cake Circus” both stay in the same key and feel like filler. “JCC Sports” is cute re-do of Nilsson’s “Coconut” and the Beta Band influence is felt on “The Cheese of Jims Command” and “Old Man Cyril.” Its still essential listening if you’re in the mood for classic English pastoral pop. I guess I expected more from Jim, instead of paint-by-numbers nostalgia.

Artist website | Amazon

Alex Vans and Rachel Brown

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Alex Vans “DJ Booth”
Alex Vans starts DJ Booth with a synth bass beat on “Good Enough,” as guitar hooks bring to mind T.Rex or Bowie with a danceable melody worthy of Abba. The next song “Chase The Night” is another perfect example of this, the mixing of old influences skillfully into something fresh.

It veers into alt. country on “Saints” and Vans proves he’s a skilled composer of mood and lyric on the albums best track “Hideaway.” Parts reminded me of The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s early stuff, with a better, slicker pop surface. Highly recommended and a great new LP for 2013.

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Rachel Brown “Building Castles” EP
Brown has an soft voice, along the lines of Zooey Deschanel or Norah Jones and knows her way around a pop hook. “Bumblebee” is a hummable pop confection, sweet as honey. Then a subtle hip hop beat is used for “Four Leaf Clover” that’ll stick in your head. “Rockstar” uses unusual percussion that builds to its bouncy chorus.

These first 3 tracks are the most impressive, and then the instrumentation nearly vanishes on “Your Little Act” and “On Your Side” to focus on Rachel’s voice. She is a major talent in the making, so catch her now before the inevitable indie superstardom (along the lines of Nataly Dawn).

The Candy Strypers and Ican Ican’t

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The Candy Strypers “The Candy Strypers” EP
 From Manchester, UK this “band” is really musician Paul Hughes, showcasing his skills with a big emphasis on Brydsian jangle and Rooks-like melodies. “Hymn the Girl” is wonderful single with a cheery chorus and “Sunshine Speakers” has a touch of harmonies, similar to Weezer. “Calling Sarah” has a bit more garage elements, and overall I’d say its an impressive start for Hughes. I look forward to hearing more in the future.

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Ican Ican’t  “Year of The Stat”
 This a pet project of musician Dermot O’Leary, gathering up songs from his other bands (Alanalda, Demostat) after they broke up into a “greatest bits” collection. The work is fine DIY indie rock, “Draw The Line” is a fairly catchy example right off the bat. A bit like Jonathan Coulton,”Little Wings” has little details of bitterness that endear you to the narrative.

Personal pain and apathy come out of the ballad “What If I Told You I’d Die Tomorrow” and the only other standouts here are the light harmonies and sunny melody of “Shortcut Thru’ The Park,” and the Lennonesque revenge tale “Sucked My Will To Live.” O’Leary has the talent and ability to get across many ideas, and overall the theme of loss here is well done. I hope for something more upbeat in future work.