Category: Power Pop Review
Rich Arithmetic and The Incurables
Rich Arithmetic “Pushbutton Romance”
The follow-up to 2021’s Shiftinggears takes a big step in the right direction for Rich Arithmetic (aka Richard Horton). The catchy standout opener “When You Want Somebody (To Make Love To),” features a combination of jangling guitar and a solid chorus with a swirling psychedelic break midway through. The influences; The Knack, XTC, and Martin Newell are easy touchpoints here. While the similarities to Newell are evident in the quirkier pop moments like “Battered & Broke,” his crisp 12-string guitar, understated bass lines, and harmonies on “Moral Blight” are closer to XTC’s Colin Moulding. There are excursions into folk in “Up To You” and surf guitar in “Saving Sunset.”
The three-part suite “A Teenage Hymn” recalls Pet Sounds (especially the first part) but takes its way to get through a vintage courtship, ending in a well-executed baroque instrumental finale. Getting back to power pop, “You are Always Right” is another winner, and Rich takes a bold chance with African-themed “Thema Toh Selah (Zambia Zombie Samba),” and it works beautifully. This is a wonderfully complete album that is highly recommended!
The Incurables “Inside Out & Backwards”
Michigan quartet The Incurables are cousins Ray and Darrin Lawson on bass and drums, along with their lifelong friends Pat Kelly and Dennis Pepperack on guitars. They toiled on the local garage punk scene for years, and now Big Stir Records lets them loose. Influences here are The Ramones, The MC5, and Iggy Pop. “When I Grow Up” is like a punk slacker anthem that sticks a middle finger at that old Beach Boys chestnut with its ridiculous goals (“Never gonna happen!”)
The band plays it straight for the familiar-sounding “Far Away,” and the catchy, but repetitive “Soda Pop.” The frantic rhythms of “Back Into Eloise” have great energy and a solid hook, Additional highlights include the very Iggy-like “Funhouse” and dueling leads of “I Told Myself (Absolutely Nothing).” When they don’t take themselves seriously, it’s appreciated. It’s a record that deserves to be heard!
March singles: Luke of Ulysses, Willie Dowling, The Amplifier Heads, Chaft, Softjaw
Paul Collins and Elephant Stone
Paul Collins “Stand Back and Take a Good Look”
Paul Collins, the “King of Power Pop,” always channeled rock and roll energy, whether he was with The Nerves in the late 1970s, with The Beat during the 1980s, or later with his solo works. Collins covers a variety of older songs from his prolific career on the new album, Stand Back and Take a Good Look. With a star-studded guest list (Dwight Twilley, Prairie Prince, Richard X Heyman, etc.), Paul sounds great at 67, and the song selection isn’t so much his “hits” as great songs that you may have missed. The songs are short, sweet, and get to the point quickly.
The title track, “Stand Back and Take a Good Look,” the Jack Lee-penned song, is a bouncy opener about narcissism. The strong songs “I’m the Only One For You” and “In Another World” follow this. Both are excellent power pop songs. The country influences are all over the mid-tempo “Don’t Take it So Hard” and “You Can’t Go Back.” The experience of overseas touring is the subject of the jangling “Liverpool” and the folky “Under the Spanish Sun.” Collins does not disappoint, and there is no filler to be found. Kudos to the label, JEM Records, for signing him. It’s highly recommended!
Elephant Stone “Back Into The Dream”
Canadian band Elephant Stone returns with their sixth album, a neo-psych pop stream of songs that swing between awareness and subconscious. You close your eyes, drift, and while listening to Back Into The Dream, which vaguely reminded me of a 21st-century version of those classic LSD-influenced Moody Blues records from the past. The band’s lead singer, Rishi Dhir, knows how to combine musical textures to create a rich aural tapestry that comes alive in technicolor melodies.
“The Spark” is a more straightforward, catchy earworm, with shimmering rhythm guitars. It gets even stronger with “Going Underground,” about the joys of listening to oldies and getting lost in the moment. From here, it becomes even more surreal as “bae,” a trippy delight, and the epic “The Imaginary Nameless Everybody” follow their enigmatic paths amid lush harmonies and meandering sitar instrumentation. The road leads to the joyous “On Our Own,” a blissful look at adulthood. Overall, this is a wonderful listen and needs to be experienced as a full album. Highly Recommended!
Liquid Mike and On The Runway
Liquid Mike “Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot”
I am admittedly late to the Liquid Mike bandwagon. Michigan musician Mike Maple (aka Liquid Mike) has been toiling away in obscurity doing pretty impressive indie rock for the past few years. With last year’s self-titled LP, Mike added more of a melodic power pop structure, and it gained some recognition amongst the power pop community. And he is quickly capitalizing on his new fame with Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot.
Liquid Mike’s sound is a link that sits between emo, grunge, and power pop that is rarely done correctly, similar to The Foo Fighters but compressed into 2-minute melody bombs. The new album comes out of the gate pounding away on “Drinking and Driving,” but it catches you with the hook on “K2” about idyllic school days. The buzzing rumble of “Town Ease,” the Nirvana-like “Mouse Trap,” and the Velvet Crush adjacent “Drug Dealer” are all excellent songs that deliver the goods. “USPS” and “Small Giants” are compelling character studies that you almost wish were longer. Almost all these songs stick fast with no pretension. Highly Recommended!
On The Runway “Tell Yourself It’s Pretty”
Atlanta-based frontman and band leader Dave Norris (Crash into June) has a new band, and it starts with the light jangle of “Loser of the Year.” The easygoing feel is similar to Dropkick, but with a bit more of an Americana vibe. The songs take on a more majestic tone on the excellent “Consolation Prize” as it effortlessly draws you into its melody. The moody narrative of “This Charade” and “House Is Not A Home” continues with jangling guitars and Dave’s steady vocal, Neilson Hubbard’s bass and keyboard, and Will Kimbrough’s shimmering guitar. It draws from college rock of the late 1980s a bit but still feels quite timeless in approach.
“Lifeline” and ” This Will Be Your Year” almost reminded me of a sedate version of the Gin Blossoms, and while nicely performed, they don’t stick in your head long. The ending track is another great tune; “Bring Yourself Down” goes back to a faster tempo, but it shows the contrast here. This is an album that deserves to be heard, and I hope Norris can take a few more stylistic chances with future works.