The Anderson Council “Assorted Colours”
The swirling infectious melodies from an American band with a distinct British “flavour,” this collection reminds us why The Anderson Council’s power pop is some of the best ever recorded. The New Jersey band has been around since the late nineties and has a history of making great mid-sixties influenced pop singles. The band has evolved beyond those influences to its current indie pop brilliance, and its “greatest hits” compilation has some new music produced by another NJ legend, Kurt Reil (The Grip Weeds.)
Opening with “Sitting On A Cloud,” its got everything you’d want in a song; jangling Rickenbackers, harmonies, and a catchy chorus that’s easy to sing along with. This formula is used with “Girl On The Northern Line,” “Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours,” and fans of The Beatles, mod-era Who, and The Jam will love it. Anderson Council singer-songwriter Peter Horvath’s tight melodic structures make these songs a joy to hear, especially the newer “Magical,” with its great minor chord changes. Then “Never Stop Being ’67” and “Gardening Man” are great examples of the psychedelic pop genre. The band’s sound starts to move beyond those influences on “Friday’s Girl” where they come closer in approach to that other Jersey power pop band The Smithereens. If you’ve missed the bands regular output over the years, then pick this one up and you’re all caught up – even the new songs blend right in. Super highly recommended.
Chris Bolger “No Promises”
Chrism Bolger is a talented New Jersey musician who did slip under my radar this spring, brought to my attention by Dennis Diken (Smithereens) who plays on the album.“Easier” is terrific single with a Beatle-like riff similar to “Lady Madonna” that goes into a sing along chorus. Next the bluesy sax and piano pay tribute to “Barbara Feldon” the actress who played Agent “99” on the late ’60s show Get Smart.
The title track is a slower acoustic ballad that slows some momentum, but the jangling “Atlantic City Expressway” is a fine song that lifts the mood. The album settles into a series of mid-tempo of pub rock tunes a bit like Tom Petty on the rockers “Tear That Cabin Down” and “What’s It Got To Do With Me?” Other highlights include “Everything,” “She May Look My Way” and “Ships. Its music that deserves to be heard.
