The Ditchflowers and Stratocruiser

The Ditchflowers “Bird’s Eye”
Brain Merrill (Barely Pink) has a long history of great pop songwriting and this follow up to the debut Carried Away is a solid slice of adult contemporary power pop. “Sunshine Lifetime” is a soulful pop number that has a touch of Steely Dan. “You Could Hurt Someone” charms with its bouncy beat and quick paced chorus, similar to Squeeze – but a real winner is the subtle “Simple Guy” with its heartfelt lyrics about the sensitive artist trying to find himself.  The guitar composition builds layers of guitars and vocals, and then it comes to the atmospheric ballad “Rainout.” This song is a real standout with a Billy Joel meets Alan Parsons Project feel, with strings, backing vocals and guitars backing up Merrill’s perfect vocal performance. Although the second half of the album isn’t as strong, it still has plenty of great music. The title track has a nod to The Beach Boys,  and other notable tunes are “We Are The Time” and “Tuesday Is Dead.” Overall an excellent album that I highly recommend.

Stratocruier “The Spark”
After a series of EPs and successful KickStarter campaign, North Carolina’s Stratocruiser is back with its ringing guitars and Cheap Trick meets Kiss inspired approach. Opening with the title track, it reflects the rock aesthetic from the Thin Lizzy “Jailbreak” era with an inspired rhythm guitar arrangement. “Adult Situation” is great power ballad with big chord shifts and Clay Howard’s strong lead vocal. The band is much looser than previous releases, as the heavy prog-rock composition “Slush” lets its Black Sabbath influences out in the open. “Somebody’s Girlfriend” is a another standout, with Mike Nicolson doing a great job on multiple instruments. Matt Brown’s drumming and percussion are just as forceful. As with any vanity project, a few indulgences like the rock instrumental “Possession” are expected. Earlier singles like “Best Actress” standout against the heavier stuff here, and it looks like the “pop” side has taken a back seat to cowbell-heavy rock like on “Start Finishing.” As a bonus, power pop icon Robbie Rist contributes his guitar solo to the fast paced “Indian Summer.” Overall a great driving album to blast on the car stereo with the windows down. No real duds or filler here either, so its really a gift to fans who love melodic rock with a capital “R.”

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No the video isn’t broken, the sound starts after 10 seconds of silence….