Category: Power Pop Review

Eric Barao “Eric Barao”

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Eric Barao is a singer/songwriter from Massachuettes with quite the pedigree. Co-founder of The Cautions, he’s been part of Air Traffic Controller and L.E.O.  That last band was run by powerpop icon Bleu, and he produces Eric’s debut along with Ducky Carlisle… so hold on to your hat.

Opening with the mid-tempo “One Holiday” its very much like Jason Falkner lite. The descending piano chords run into a hard pause before the hooky chorus, and the follow up “Trying Too Hard” slows down to a ballad tempo, and the melody is just amazing. Bleu’s fingerprints are all over “New Earth,” one of those Jellyfish-ELO styled flourish-filled songs sure to stick in your head. Another standout is the ballad “In Love With A Broken Heart,” a beautifully written song about “lessons learned too late.”

One track that seems to have life beyond the LP is “To All You Guys” about overcoming bullying – its an inspiration for any kid dealing with social challenges. The light airy “Running In Place” is highlighted by sunny background harmonies. The ending tracks “She Needs Air” and “Sugar and Cream” are full of bright pop atmospherics that highlight Eric’s vocal range. And despite rarely having any quick tempos, the songwriting and performances keep things from getting dull. Being a soft-rock album, the guitars play a minor role and the keyboards are the main force here. So without any duds amongst the ten tracks, this definitely stands as a contender for my top ten list for 2013.

Amazon | CD Baby

Poster Boy “Melody”

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A big thanks to Bill Kopp for finding this trio from Budapest, Hungary last year. Poster Boy has both Brit-pop and Motown influences on its debut LP. The title track has a Beatlesque quality with dual Rickenbacker guitars and harmonies (and its my favorite tune here).

The band then gives us a completely different sound, alt. pop more like the Shins with the soft “Pale Blue Eyes.” The hook filled chorus of “Portland Head Light” adds a little Superdrag meets Pearl Jam. It then shifts gears again with the fast-paced hand claps of “Traction” and goes into a soulful lounge-pop tune with “It’s Over.” In each case the song is fine on its own, but it feels like a collection of singles rather than a cohesive album. The stylistic shifts also make it tough to pin down a distinctive sound for the band, which may or may not be a problem. Either way you should applaud the excellent musicianship here, highly recommended.

Amazon | Jigsaw Records | Bandcamp

The Golden Bubbles “Seventy-Two”

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Happy April Fools Day! Power Popaholic has got disco fever today! No really, this band has slick horns, piano and a disco beat that can’t be beat! Referred by their previous EP as  The Last Disco Band in America it will get you on the dance floor. The best track here is the opener “Above The Rim” with all the musical flourish and compelling melody, very much like Roger Manning Jr. (Jellyfish) or Bleu when they get into disco mode. If you also liked The Xanadu soundtrack, then “Fire Escape” will be another favorite tune with strings, piano and sparkling vocals. Much of the LP is pleasantly low key, like “Infusion” or wedding band themed “It’s Your Night.” The ballad “Moving Day” is sung with earnest and heartbreak making it another standout. Fans of early 80’s period melodic disco will enjoy dancing to this one. At least you can groove along with Jay and Silent Bob…

Amazon | CD Baby  | Bandcamp

The Krayolas and Pop Interludes

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Krayolas

The Krayolas “Canicas/Marbles”
 Once again the San Antonio power pop of Hector Saldana returns, and each time the band impresses me. Canicas starts with “Tony Tormenta” a simple guitar ballad about a drug lord no one will mourn. Both “Canicas” and “Lala la Lala” boast bright hum along melodies with organ and accordion, full of childhood nostalgia followed by a great cover of  The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.” The T-Rex bass line of  “La Inundacion de Piedras Negras” creeps along making it a cool highlight. The slow “Lazy Afternoon” sounds exactly like it’s supposed to, and best of all this album is a FREE download from Amazon. If you don’t get it, you are truly loco, mi amigo.

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Pop Interludes “Manhattan Charade”
Pop Interludes is a collaboration between songwriter/musician Dino De Angelis and lyricist Peter Morley. Simple synth keyboard pop with little melodic hooks. De Angelis is a man of many talents, a biomedical researcher, culinary teacher and talented musician – but vocally he is merely passable here, doing a flat kind of speak-singing.  The bands’ sound is not unlike Jeff Boller’s project The Simple Carnival or XTC’s Colin Moulding, with its dynamic compositions. The bouncy “It’s Over” adds a guitar as harmonies overlay with the main melody. “Talkin’ About Sunshine” has a spacey echo with its sugary lyric. Morley’s narrative fits the music well, but occasionally feels forced (“This Masquerade”). Some tunes take a few verses to build, but are worth it – recommended tracks are “Addition,”  “Invisible,” and “Transforming.”

CD Baby | Amazon

Jacco Gardener and Luke Potter

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Jacco Gardener “Cabinet of Curiosities”
 Amsterdam native Gardener, has a talent for brilliant baroque pop using studio techniques perfected in the late 60’s psychedelic era. That means our opening harpsichord melody in “Clear The Air” is a bit like Phil Spector producing The Zombies latest single. “The One Eyed King” arrangements are lush and airy, comparable to The Moody Blues and early Pink Floyd. And every song here has that dream-like psyche-pop quality. Jacco’s lyrical puzzles seldom transcend the atmosphere, but like “Puppets Dangling” the spot-on retro magic will keep you enthralled. Fans of classic Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks, Syd Barrett, and The Pillbugs will really enjoy this. If there ever was an album to zone out to in a darkened room lit by florescent light and smelling of incense, this is it.

Amazon | Facebook
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Luke Potter “One Day”
A new voice out there, Luke Potter is a young singer-songwriter from the UK who’s starting to make a buzz with his new EP, produced by power pop favorite Bleu. Opening with “Breathe In” it uses both guitar melody and Luke’s strong vocal to draw you in. “Chance Worth Taking” is a bit more typical rock ballad, but the title track “One Day” is more compelling and he gives you a truly inspirational chorus. Even Bruce Bodeen of PopGeekHeaven was said “Luke Potter appears to be primed to deliver some great work…” Check it out.

CD Baby | Artists website