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THE TEMPORARIES Growing Up
Slowly (self-released) www.thetemporariesrock.com
Take it from me, seekers of the holy PoP grail, the Temporaries have
loads to offer if you're searching for that manic pop thrill in a 3
minute song. Reminiscent of the 'Mats in parts & the Young Fresh
Fellows in others, the latter especially in the humorous off-the-wall
bits, Growing Up Slowly is the proverbial unpolished diamond as
tracks like the punky "Went to...," the hilarious
"Popular Song," the dynamic "Girl Problems" &
the poignant "Grocery Man" fully attest. Check 'em out! (B) |
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KINGFLY Elevatorup (dingply)
www.kingfly.net
This power trio possesses all the hooks, chops & image that, with
the right amount of marketing muscle could have made Kingfly contenders,
maybe a decade ago. Based on the evidence of the opening salvo of
pristine guitars, radio-friendly tunes and shiny presentation found on
"Getting Ready," "Sorry" & "Little Lost and
Found" - there would be no difficultly visualizing success on the
scale of say, Collective Soul for this pop-rock combo. (C) |
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ELKS SKIFFLE GROUP Aliens
263 Earthmen 0 (Happy Beat) http://elksskiffle.xrs.net
Hip hip hooray - the Elks are back! That's right, boys and girls, Johnny
Casserole, Hoover Constellation, Janice Electrolux & Roosevelt Elk
have returned to bless their devoted followers with more great slices of
electro-pop paradise. It's light, it's fun, contains kitschy synth
sounds and delivers with a pop attitude that is relentlessly um happy!
Good enough for me! (C) |
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RICH COX Designer Fetish (FTL)
www.richcox.net
There is something ultimately predictable about Cox's classy pop-rock
sheen. The photos of Cox in the CD sleeve mark him out as a Nik Kershaw
(remember him, kiddies?) look-a-like whilst his vocal style draws
heavily from soul influences like Stevie Wonder & Al Green. No doubt
also that the weight of such pop luminaries as Paul McCartney, Todd
Rundgren, Jason Falkner, Jon Brion & Michael Penn figure
significantly in material like "Chameleon Skin," "Rest
Easy," "Top of the World" & "Here We Go."
Not for all tastes but competent stuff nonetheless. (C) |
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JOHN ASHFIELD Harmony
Bunny (Popē) www.popsquaredrecords.com
Very sweet! This homemade cookie comes complete with a complimentary
chocolate Easter bunny (like the one on the cover) and inside, Ashfield
impresses with his command of the power pop aesthetic - whether it is nailing
down a flawless guitar solo in "Crush," delivering a cool
mock-disco dynamic in "All Over You" or positively delighting
with the near-perfect "Change Your Mind." Harmony Bunny
deserves the attention of every card-carrying PoP lover - and that means
you! (B) |
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GARFIELD'S BIRTHDAY Peepshow
(Pink Hedgehog) www.pinkhedgehog.com
The legacy of British pop is still in safe hands as long as the likes of
Garfield's Birthday remind all and sundry about the essential strengths
of the gorgeous Beatles-Beach Boys-Byrds-Big Star influences that makes
the best Britpop shine. "Everything" is fundamentally
Lennonesque, "Thick Ear" is West Coast grandiose,
"Garfield's Birthday" is music hall jaunty & "Eye to
Eye" is darkly psychedelic. Splendid! (B) |
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STILL I Don't Mind
(Lizard Heart) www.stillmusic.com
Singer-songwriter Wade Biery is the prime mover behind this home studio
recording project and proves yet again that production values alone will
not save mediocre material. That said, this album sounds excellent on
all counts! From the opening vibrant "Goodbye" to the moody
"All Around Me," from the pulsating "Another Day" to
the atmospheric "The Lady's Song," Biery's obvious way with
tunes & arrangements frames rather thought-provoking lyrical
concepts. Huge promise. (B) |
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JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Vodka
Line EP (Parasol) www.parasol.com
Okay, you know the deal with Joe Algeri and his merry band - a healthy
(over) dose of Scottish pop crunch (highlighted on the lively "Mr
Cynic") and West Coast melodic sensibilities (check out the Byrdsy
treasure that is "She Does the Handclaps") that belie a deep
affection for Gram Parson's cosmic American music (just listen to the heartrending
vibes on "Bleed"). The rest of this EP showcases a couple of
acoustic tracks which provide an excellent counterpoint to the
full-bodied material. Lovely. (B) |
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THE BLUETONES The Singles (A&M)
www.bluetones.co.uk
The poor man's Stone Roses? Well, considering that I've always
considered the Roses a tad overrated, that comparison tends to be a bit
neutral in my book. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, in the Britpop
scheme of things, the Bluetones had as much impact as Herman's Hermits
in the 60s. Draw your own conclusions. Not as brash as Oasis or skillful
as Blur, the Bluetones come in somewhere in-between. (C) |
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THE BORIS FLATS 'Dinlo"
The Original Soundtrack (Boris Tones) www.dugoutstudio.co.uk
This English duo of Van Norris-Jones
& Geoff Webb certainly have hyperactive musical creative talents
that recall the fanatical pop smarts of folk like Todd Rundgren, Andrew
Gold, Andy Partridge and 10cc coupled with the melodic inventiveness of
Paul McCartney, Jeff Lynne and Brian Wilson. Sure, there's an element of
piss-take in this borderline concept album but the sheer range of
styles, arrangements and instrumentations utilized here is quite often
breathtaking. Good vibrations, indeed. (A) |
