Working on several more reviews before my top 25 list comes out after the New Year. In the meantime here is the last of my holiday singles. Add them to your Yuletide mix!
Seems like a million years ago Boston musician Brian E. King gave us Oranjuly but his new band is finally ready to hit prime time. Parks has Brian joined with Eric Bolton (Guitar), Andrew Jones (Drums), Rob Johanson (Bass), and Robin Melendez (Vocals). A true group effort it boasts several different styles of indie pop, starting with the pensive “Fools” where it’s “been a long time coming” as the band layers its synths, booming drums, and wailing guitar rhythms. King seems to concentrate his sound in pop jams that reference the new wave ’80s.
While it starts out good, it gets progressively better as we hit the guitar hooks on the brilliant “Sweater Weather,” with its lovely bridge chock full of harmonies and finger snaps. The catchiest gem “All We Have” has an infectious beat, as it mines deep emotion that expresses the frustration “tired of waiting, tired of hanging around.” The beauty (and sadness) of “Escaping Together” combines an idyllic ballad with the silence of heartbreak after “everyone’s dead” to you. It’s another huge highlight. The other songs don’t hit as high, but come close with “3×5” sounding like a lost 10cc track, and the jangling guitar melody of “Prove It” makes good use of Robin’s call and response vocal. No filler anywhere, and it provides a deep listening experience. Makes my crowded list of top ten nominees for best LP of 2018.
Amazon
Chicago rockers Van Go come out swinging on their newest release, which is like Foo Fighters and Cheap Trick jamming with Material Issue. The guitars are loaded with tight, hook-laden power pop gems like summer anthem “Live Through This.” Each song is uptempo, with an attitude like on “Black Luck” as Van Go singer Dave Sippel croons like Dave Grohl. If you love sweet guitar riffs, this album is for you!
The band cruises through these 12 tracks, with some dark lyrics making its way toward the album’s midpoint with “The Grim Life” and “Dead Already.” Continuous fast tempo barrages get chaotic on “Tell Us How You Really Feel,” but the catchy “Schrodinger’s Cat” is a dynamic gem that you can sing along to. The title track gets a little denser with its psychedelic verses over its 4-minute run. And a cool cover of Paul Collins’ “Walking Out On Love” ends things. Highly Recommended!
Pete Shelley was always someone I admired, not just for his excellent work with The Buzzcocks, but his solo work too. His music literally pushed the late 70’s sneering punk aesthetic into the realm of pop and new wave. Some people have argued that maybe The Buzzcocks were power pop — and they wouldn’t be wrong, but they could easily be classified as the first punk-pop band too. The Buzzcocks were also one of the most influential DIY bands of its day, when they self-released their debut EP Spiral Scratchin 1977, setting a strong example for the future of independent music. Pete Shelley had died of a heart attack aged 63, but he made a dent in the musical landscape that will be felt by his fellow homosapiens for years to come.
Tis the season for even more lovely holiday singles. But there’s more — a great compilation album by Geoff Palmer (The Connection) and a full covers album by the prolific Richard Turgeon. And both are FREE downloads for a limited time!
Portland musicians, Jay Caruso, and JP Ramos are the core of Big Sunset, a five-year collaborative project. Both worked with a band called The Contestants, then Caruso explains “I really loved the way JP Ramos wrote and that our voices worked well together. I reached out to JP to see if he wanted to write some songs together. Both JP and I are huge Jellyfish and XTC fans.” And that comes across on this labor of love.
Starting with the swirling rhythm of “My Head Is Attached,” Big Sunset boasts a variety of instrumentation from strings, horns, organ and sets up the carnival-like atmosphere. “Beautiful” is a waltz-timed tune with a Jellyfish-like approach, but the melody isn’t as sticky as the hypnotic “The Night I Was Murdered” with its delicate acoustics and deep cello strings. This dream-like approach also works on “Wolfing” and “Invisible Men” is another highlight featuring Beach Boys-like harmonies and musical subtleties that recall ELO. While technically brilliant, it lacks the hooks that their influences possess. Still a worthy LP for fans of the genre, and it certainly deserves discovery.
Amazon | Kool Kat Musik
Boston musician Richie Parsons is back with his new Kickstarter funded LP (produced by The Posies Ken Stringfellow, who also sings and plays on everything.) A full band is in the studio featuring Doug Harper (guitar), Frank Dehler (bass), Malcolm Travis on drums, and Parsons on lead guitar and vocals. Parsons approximately sounds like a combo of Jonathan Richman and Chris Stamey. The hi-energy opener “Beverly” captures Parson’s pop-rock sound perfectly. “Winter’s Dream” is another winner, a love song with a chugging melody and hook-filled chorus. And “Six Hours Ahead” name drops The Raspberries, as he goes to “a punk rock show.”
The album takes a somber turn mid-way on “Rainy Day” which has Bacharach-styled orchestration with horns and strings. The twang of “Here I Am” is a rootsy Western blues tune, and the Farfisa organ of “Tomorrow” is reminiscent of The Doors. The production is strong throughout the album, although it runs out of hooks toward the last few songs. Overall a very good album that’s highly recommended.