Greg Pope returns with another great power pop album, but he throws in a twist or two this time. Starting off with “Partner In Crime” it’s pretty straight forward power riff based melody and a memorable chorus. Even better is “More Like You” with its layered vocal, dense rhythm guitar and its lyrically inspiring message of gratitude. We then go off into Joe Walsh/Lynrd Skynrd mode for the most enjoyable track on the album, “The Mattress.” All about a bed that fell off his truck on the highway, which in the lyric becomes an analogy for a hard luck life (in a funny way).
Pope slows down a quite bit after that with the acoustic “Don’t Wait” and “Cloud and Thunder,” a contemplative pair of folk-pop songs. While these slower tunes are okay, they don’t resonate as well as the more rock oriented ballad, “Playing Along”. The “Rebel Inside” is back to the Replacements style rock we’re familiar with. The final track, “She Might” is another winner and overall this is a welcome return for Pope after his successful film work. Its good to hear Greg branch out with different styles and fans should continue to support him and artists like him.
