Pop Archeology Transmission is the work of two old friends from Portland, who come from radically different musical places. Paul Ellis is an accomplished Electronics musician and Kevin Bowen has played in jazz ensembles and punk bands. Both love classic 70’s pop and combine to give you a potpourri of adult oriented pop that touches many different influences, but if pressed I’d say it combines Alan Parsons Project, 10cc and Todd Rundgren. Opening with the light “She Blew It Like a Kiss” weaves lush acoustic guitars and understated vocals. A few songs seem overly precious, like “Emperor Reversed” and are missing those memorable hooks. But with a massive amount of music here (20 tracks) the duo produces a bunch of true pop gems. The baroque Todd-styled “Everyone Lies” is a wonderful song, that drifts along on a snare beat. A series of cool breezy mid-tempo songs like “Beautiful Mistake” and “Night is Falling” resembles Eric Matthews in vocal style. The best track on the disc for me is “So Much” with a sugary sweet chorus and light strumming. Some tunes are obviously experimental pop, (“Love 4 Security”) but the song structures and instrumentation are solid – this isn’t improv. Some ballads are achingly beautiful, like “My Recurring Dream” will please Parsons fans for sure. Overall, it’s smart pop music for fans who want some substance with their guitar licks.
My Space | CD Baby | Kool Kat