The Successful Failures “Three Nights”
Mick Chorba (Dipsomaniacs) returns with a much more focused third album. The chugging guitars and manic drums of “Armadillo Boy” are supported by solid melody and catchy chorus. The sound is heavily Replacements influenced, especially on bouncy “Sinkhole.” The band has a good sense of humor on “Waiting For A Ride” and “Houston, We Have A Drinking Problem” and both songs will remind you of the nerdy, but funny slice-of-life rock that Weezer used to make. The band’s compositions are also much stronger here, with no filler to be found. Even “Fletcher” has an epic feel that recalls those classic Who tunes without sounding retro at all. The alt country/lo fi sound comes out on “College Scholarship Blues” and you can picture the scene, as our young protagonist croons “I don’t belong here anymore.” When it comes to power, “Leave Me In A Coma” has blasting guitars that dominate the latter part of the album. These guys just keep improving with each release.
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Victor Stranges “Hello Me To You”
Yes, Australian musician Victor Stranges looks pretty menacing on the cover here, but his inventive compositions are full of soft rock warmth that recalls Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello’s gentler moments. The solid “Morning Star” is full of complex chord structures and an infectious combo of hand claps and “do-do-do” chorus. “Hello Me To You” echoes 70s rock style and tells the tale of a record store romance. The bouncy “When The Morning Comes” is led by a solid keyboard bridge and the most Costello-like, it’s my favorite on this album. Some songs tend to wander on (“Restoration Blues,” “Nineteen Years Ago”) and get a bit too maudlin for my tastes. “Tonight” is a real gem here, full of strong guitar work and energy that seems it’s buried amongst the other lesser songs. Still a very strong debut, I expect to hear more from Victor in the near future.
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