Astral Drive and Rob Bonfiglio

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Astral Drive

Astral Drive “Astral Drive”

Oh boy, if you ever were a fan of Todd Rundgren’s Utopia then have I got an album for you. I heard a lot of buzz about this album from several people, and in some sense, it does live up to the hype. Astral Drive (aka Phil Thornalley) creates a sonic love letter to all those Todd fans who pine for those late ‘70s early ‘80s grooves. The opener “Love Is Real” uses all those classic synth lines to create a sunny slice of perfect pop. “Wishing I Could Change” is almost Phil Spector-ish in its grand production, but it also reminded me of ’90s one-hit wonders New Radicals and this sound is also quite evident on the catchy “Summer of ‘76” with a soulful pop sound that deserves to be a huge radio hit. If any complaint can be made, it sticks a little too close to its original influences.

The album slowly moves away from catchy singles to longer glossy, cosmically themed indulgences. The blissful harmonies start out on “Walls and Bridges” before it heads into the title track “Astral Drive,” a multi-layered epic that you can get lost in with its extended guitar solo that drifts off. “Child Of The Universe” and “No One Escapes” sounds like they fell of Utopia’s POV album. Overall, no filler tunes here and after several listens, you will find the magic of the melodies below all that studio wizardry. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Rob Bonfiglio

Rob Bonfiglio “Trouble Again”

Rob Bonfiglio (Wanderlust) has been making great music since 2006, and his experience as musical director and guitarist for Wilson Philips has only helped focus his own musical vision. On his fifth LP, he really hits it out of the park, with his rich multi-layered harmonies and catchy radio-friendly melodies. From the opener “Passenger Seat” and title track “Trouble Again” it centers on the big guitar riffs and a style that marries 70’s Southern California rock with 80’s melodic pop.

A big highlight is “Spread This Feeling,” a joyful love song that brims over with “Ooh La La” Beach Boys-styled harmonies and brilliant guitar rhythms. Rob has a soulful lead vocal that’s designed for cranking the volume up and jamming with air guitar. He gets all AOR funky on the breezy “Gone” and then comes “Tears” with its mix of soft pop and a heart-tugging chorus that demands multiple listens.  And it doesn’t let up, without a hint of filler. Music Critic Bob Leggett mentioned that this is a “must-get” album and I wholeheartedly agree.  In fact, it’s an easy pick for my top ten album list of 2018.

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EPs and Freebies: The Paperweight Array, Bad Athlete, Cape Cartel , The Co-Op Communique

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The Paperweight Array – Aaron Hemmington (The Sunchymes) is part of this prog-pop trio from the UK. This new 3-song EP has many influences from XTC to Genesis to Pink Floyd.

Bad Athlete is 4-piece power pop band from Norman, Oklahoma that really feels like a lost Weezer EP. Check out the dense guitars on “Yeah” and “Lonely One”
Cape Cartel is a really impressive Canadian band that sounds like a mix of Belle & Sebastian and The Moody Blues. Full of harmonies and alt. rock coolness, check out “Oh Christ.” Oh yeah, this is a FREE download.
DW Dunphy has another terrific compilation for us as Volume 4 of the Co-Op Communique collects some great power pop, rock, punk, and indie folk. Contributions from Gretchen’s Wheel, The Well Wishers, Paul Melancon, The Click Beetles, Soper 8, Phil Yates and much more. A massive 57 tracks and its all a FREE download.

Dave Sheinin and The Supahip

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Dave Sheinin

Dave Sheinin “First Thing Tomorrow”

Noted author and Washington Post sportswriter Dave Sheinin has a not so secret life as a musician. His debut album First Thing Tomorrow has earned kudos from his fellow writer and podcaster Matt Nordlander. Oh, it also doesn’t hurt that he’s got a crew of great musicians assisting him (notably Andy Bopp).  Sheinin has a fondness for Jellyfish in his opener “Lies,” however most of the music sticks to an easy-going pop jangle like on “Oh Amelia.”

“Little California” has pleasing Beach Boys influence, but he hits it out of the park on the power-pop gem “Talking To Myself” which is a well written Carpe Diem message with a solid guitar melody. The ballads don’t resonate as well, and Sheinin’s vocals aren’t remarkable, but the honest lyrics often elevate the production. “City You Left Behind”  and “Goodbye City” are additional highlights. Check it out!

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The Supahip

The Supahip “The Two Sided Face”

Sydney power pop musician Michael Carpenter may have “retired” from solo records, but he’s been extremely busy these days. He’s done a Tom Petty tribute, and he dusted off one of his older projects with musician Mark Moldre, called The Supahip. Last heard back in 2007, Carpenter makes it sound like little has changed, and he plays with a relaxed confidence here. The timeless Beatlesque qualities are evident from the very start of “Running Blind,” with its swirling guitar chords.

The winning rumble of “Motor” is a layered guitar gem, with some great reverb-heavy rhythm. “When I Started Falling Apart” sounds like a lost Travelling Wilburys tune. The heavy country guitar riffs on “Let It Go, Brother” suit Carpenter well, and the growing catchy bluegrass like stomper “Got To Keep On Moving” is another toe-tapper. The weary ballad “You Can’t See Me” and the Kinks-like “The Only Living Boy In New York” have just as much care and heart as anything The Honeydogs have ever done. Not a single note of filler here, and considering the quality of the tunes it makes my top ten list for 2018. Super Highly Recommended.

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Matthew Sweet and Cut Worms

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Matthew Sweet

Matthew Sweet “Tomorrow’s Daughter”

The classic Matthew Sweet style of pop gems continue, as these songs were written during the sessions from last year’s Tomorrow Forever.  Sweet has the same team helping out on his 13th release, with Debbi Peterson (Bangles), Ric Menck, Paul Chastain (Velvet Crush) and John Moreman (The Orange Peels). The openers “Belong To You” and “Run Away” recall the Girlfriend era and these memorable melodies are sure to please longtime fans.

“Lady Frankenstein” churns along, along with its fuzzy guitar rhythm, and “Out of My Misery” keeps those hooks coming. Like the previous LP, nothing here breaks from the conventional, nor does Matthew visit the textured experimentations of Modern Art.  But that’s okay because you get a solid group of songs that fit perfectly into Sweet’s impressive discography.”Now Was The Future,” speaks to Matt’s state of prolific status, “Maybe ’cause I was born here, I’m also harder to kill…” Other highlights include “Ever After” and “Passerby.” Highly Recommended.

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Cut Worms

Cut Worms “Hollow Ground”

Power pop often is referred to as music that worships the relics of the 60’s classic rock era. With that caveat, Max Clarke eagerly wears these pop influences on his sleeves. Clarke recreates the sound of The Everly Brothers perfectly on Hollow Ground. It’s a fine balance of authenticly produced sound and original songwriting.

“How Can It Be” has those steel pedal lap notes and precise harmonies that make it irresistible. “Don’t Want To Say Goodbye” has a twang and jangle melody and the sweetness of “Til Tomorrow Goes Away” displays a catchy casual bounce.  The country blues of “Think I Might Be In Love” and doo-wop rhythm of “Cash For Gold” are also memorable highlights. Fans of retro-pop rejoice, this one is highly recommended.

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Gretchen’s Wheel and The Elastic Band

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Gretchen's Wheel

Gretchen’s Wheel “Black Box Theory”

Nashville singer-songwriter Lindsay Murray’s gentle vocals always work best with a contrasting guitar riff. On last year’s Sad Scientist it was done quite effectively. The new album Black Box Theory was mastered by studio wiz Andy Reed and mixed by Nick Bertling (drums, guitar, synths). Without the additional players from her last album (Fernando Perdomo, Ken Stringfellow, etc.) this feels more like a personal statement for Lindsay.

The riffs get heavier and Murray’s tone is noticeably more serious, almost resigned as “Untethered” states “guess it never hurts to try / except when it does.“ The melodies on “Plans” and “Funny Thing” are compelling enough, but even the engaging jangle on “The Maze” is permeated with negativity as she intones “you’re too far gone to start again.” It almost feels like she’s channeling Aimee Mann at her most gloomy. She stays mostly in the lower vocal register, but at the very end in “Something’s Coming” we get a glimmer of hope. While overall its musically very good, the songs tend to homogeneously bleed into one another, and it isn’t until “Imp” we get a change in tempo. I hope we get something a little more uplifting on the next album. Still, fans may disagree and dig it.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

The Elastic Band

The Elastic Band “Fun, Fun, Fun”

Sometimes I find something so different and weird — it catches my attention even if it really isn’t power pop. The Elastic Band is from Granada, Spain and the music project of Pablo Román and María Sánchez. Using an electric mandolin and analog synths, old school 50’s sampling, they make small bedroom styled pop sound big.

The playful opener “All Its Done” is pleasing, if unintelligible with Pablo’s thick accent. Like a Euro mash-up of pop strings and playful percussion “BaRRy W” mentions Barry White but sure as hell doesn’t sound like him (even if it does get your feet moving!). “CalyPso” sounds like the Addams family harpsichord mixed with ELO-styled overdubbing. It’s definitely both fun and disorienting as it cycles through 13 tracks. If you dare for something different, give this a spin.

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