Marmalade Army “All Tomorrows Yesterdays”
On the followup to 2008’s “Johnny Cake and Moon Pies,” the band moves away from 60’s pastiche and leans more on its XTC’s influences. But it starts out with a surf guitar instrumental before it dazzles us with the brilliant “Persephone.” It tells the story of falling in love with an eccentric as the falsetto intones “All the children point and snicker/ but she makes my heart beat quicker.”
“Bumped My Head On The Sky” is also impressive, with a catchy melody and Andy Partridge styled bridge. “I Think You Know” has some beautiful musical ideas, and another keeper is the frantic “Myclonic Jerk.” The bouncy beat and handclaps of “Unglued” contrasts the wicked guitar solo – its my favorite here. The band has definitely improved, but could have edited the album better (tons of filler you’ll want to skip). However, the gems are worth digging for. Fans of Pugwash and SugarPlastic will definitely want to get this one.
The Mayflowers “Plymouth Rock”
Power pop bands get plenty of respect in Japan, but rarely do they get coverage here. The Mayflowers have appeared on IPO compilations vol. 9 and 10, but the latest album Plymouth Rock really caught my attention with the excellent “Cat’s Boro Blues.” Lead vocalist and guitarist Osamu Satoyama really puts together a gem with drummer Tatsuya Nishimura.
The opener “Beat Stone” sounds a lot like Cirrone with a swirling lead amid solid harmonies. “Maybelline” starts with the same guitar jangle as The La’s “There She Goes” but adds a different melody. The Japanese accent isn’t really noticeable, until you get to the Ringo-like country song “Lodi.” Another gem is “Let Me Roll” with its hard charging guitar rhythm and sweet chorus. It finishes up with a Beatlesque tribute, and at 8 tracks not a trace of filler here. Japanese power pop is really tough to find in the USA – thankfully Jam Records has all 3 albums for sale!
I enjoyed “Cat’s Boro Blues”. Thanks for letting me know about it, PPA. And as for that misspelling: Oh dear.