The Maureens “Something In The Air”
The Maureens are from in Utrecht, the Netherlands with influences that recall The Beatles, The Byrds, Teenage Fanclub, and The Jayhawks. Over the years the band’s line-up has been thinned to a core four: Hendrik-Jan de Wolff (vocals/guitar), Wouter Zijlstra (vocals/bass guitar), Martijn Vink (guitar) and Stefan Broos (vocals/drums). Their songs are structured around blended harmonies and catchy melodies, and the Something in the Air album is their best one yet.
“4 AM” has a brilliant Rickenbacker jangling melody with a swelling chorus – a great standout. The tight harmonies on “20 Years for The Company” is like a mix of R.E.M. and Cast with its catchy folk chorus. The guitars get a little heavier on the ballad “She’s A Dreamer” and the easy-going “Can’t Stop” but the constant dual harmonies of Wolff and Zijlstra are what keeps things sweet. Another good comparison is The Spongetones — most songs are neat and short, with a only a few missteps. The jangling chords on the albums first half give way to rootsy acoustic ballads and some steel pedal guitar. “Trying To Reach You” and “Turn The Page” add guitar distortion to the compositions, and fans of The Grip Weeds will appreciate this. But despite all the retro techniques here, the music doesn’t dwell in nostalgia and sounds fresh and new. Highly Recommended without a doubt.
The Beatpunkers “Those Years Songs”
From sunny Spain, this trio formed in 2015 but longs for those skinny tie pop days when Paul Collins and The Jam ruled the airwaves. Lead singer Joseba “Joss” Aranburu explains “There are just three ingredients to define the Beatpunkers’ sound: a search for melody and vocal harmonies, power-pop guitars and a genuine garage-rock or even punk-rock drums all around.” It’s basic three-chord pop that starts out pretty straight on the opener “Lonesome Heartbreaker.”
It moves into 80’s styled garage pop with “She’s The One” and “No Reverse.” It’s these efforts that will resonate with power pop fans and the strong riffs on “Little Judas,” are another early highlight. Other songs get a bit too generic; “Come On Over” and “Lady Moon” are perfectly constructed but fail to make an impression. However, the band’s worship at the Paul Collins alter is fulfilled with “Sometimes” and “Hey Misses.” The garage Merseybeat “Missing You” is a pleasant surprise, and there while there is no “punk,” there also no clunkers or fillers. Highly Recommended.
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