Amoeba Teen “Medium Wave”
Stourbridge, England’s Amoeba Teen are back and the songwriting team of Mark Britton and Mike Turner continue to craft catchy tunes, but the band stretches its boundaries and colors outside the lines on Medium Wave. The pop sophistication on the opener “Clementine,” starts out like an Anton Barbeau gem with a mid-tempo narrative but it then launches into a Beach Boys-like coda.
“Babycakes” and “(Coming On) Stronger” mines the familiar Beatles meets Nilsson influences perfectly with driving hooks and sweet guitar breaks. The acoustic folk-like “Wandering Bullets” boasts strings and harmonies comparable with Wilco about life’s everyday addictions. Then it’s back to crunchy power pop with the middle-aged anxiety of “Suit and Tie,” but the band revisits roots pop on “Ship to Shore” and “Hickory Hill,” the latter being a gentle jangling melody that sticks with repeat plays. The Lennonesque ballad “Save” is another tune that dazzles. Each song reveals more and Amoeba Teen proves to be much deeper than the surface. While a few songs are immediate, this is an album that grows on you and doesn’t let go. Highly Recommended.
Talkie “Everything Matters”
San Francisco band Talkie continues to formulate lush California soundscapes and pick up right where they left off with 2018’s Fundamental Things. “Headphone, Pt 2” is perfect summer beach music, almost dream-like where “Everybody’s hanging out for the weekend.” But all is not bliss and we start to hear on “Boring Now” that “something is wrong” with that new job… all set to sweet harmonies. The band constructs its catchy narrative perfectly on “Bummer Summerrr,” an anthem for slacking as lead Christopher Isaacs croons “I can’t seem to find my way.” The story takes a dark turn after this.
The reflective “Proper Way” hints at an “easy way out” and the energy level moves up on “Eraser” a catchy guitar gem with just the right amount of guitar fuzz buried in it’s desperate lyric “I wish I could erase myself.” But the band doesn’t wallow in the negative, as the laid back “Turning Over” looks at realistic solutions, and the frantic tempo “I’m Alright” gets into acceptance and “Walk Away” approaches self-renewal. Talkie seamlessly blends each song into the narrative with hints of surf rock and folk. The album coda leads us to the opening piano chords of Fundamental Things, so for the “full concept” listen to both albums in order. Highly Recommended.
